Pakistan seals land border with Iran over COVID spread fears: sources

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sealed its land route with Iran over fears of COVID spread after it emerged that the neighboring country’s Zahedan city is in grip of a virus wave, ARY NEWS reported quoting sources.

The sources privy to the development said that Pakistan has closed down its Taftan border with the neighbouring country. “No one is allowed to cross the border from either side,” they said.

In May this year, Pakistan sealed its land borders with Iran and Afghanistan over apprehensions regarding the transmission of new variants of the COVID to the country.

The decision at that time was taken after the country announced to revise its land border management policy with neighboring Iran and Afghanistan.

In view of the recommendations of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) competent authorities have taken the decision in order to halt the transfer of new variants of coronavirus from the neighboring countries with revision in the land border management policy.

The revised land border management policy came into force from midnight between 4 and 5 May. The new border policy remained in force until midnight of 19 and 20 May, according to the NCOC.