ISLAMABAD: *Pakistan government decides to close border crossings withAfghanistan due to spread of the Novel coronavirus outbreak in theneighbouring country.*
The federal government has announced to close Pakistan’s border withAfghanistan amid apprehensions of outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
The government has issued a letter with regard to closure of the Pak-Afghanborder crossing at Chaman in the first phase.
Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan will remain closed from March 02(Monday) for seven days, according to a notification of the Ministry ofInterior.
The Chaman border crossing will remain closed for seven days in the firstphase, the order said. The decision has been taken in view to avoid theoutbreak of novel coronavirus, the letter said.
The porous border with Afghanistan is a cause of concern for Pakistan afterthe new coronavirus erupted in neighbouring Iran.
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Islamabad has closed its border crossings with Iran while Kabul has alsosuspended all travel to the country, which has reported 43 deaths out ofnearly 543 infections — making it one of the hardest hit countries outsidethe virus epicentre China.
Afghanistan announced its first virus infection on last Monday involving apatient who had recently been in Iran where millions of Afghans live.
The virus has spread to more than 25 countries, killing over 2,835 andinfecting 85,000, mostly in China. But new outbreaks in Europe, the MiddleEast and in Asia have fanned fears of the contagion taking hold in poornations which lack the healthcare infrastructure to cope.
