Pakistan has confirmed four cases so far but all of them had a travel history to Iran. Afghanistan has also reported coronavirus cases.
The Pak-Iran border in Taftan was sealed last week. The authorities had initially decided to just screen people coming in to Pakistan via the Chaman border but later decided to completely seal the border.
It has been sealed for an initial period of seven days and could be extended. The notification issued by the Frontier Corps Balochistan section officer said it was in the “best interest of the people of the brotherly countries”.
The Pakistani Embassy in Kabul released a similar statement. Around 10,000 cross the border every day for trade, medical treatment, work or to meet relatives.
But Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,600-kilometre border and people cross it all the time. Security forces have been stationed at the illegal crossings as well.
So far, the authorities have just sealed the Chaman border. The border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is still open.
In Balochistan there are seven districts that share a border with Afghanistan—Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Pishin, Zhob, Noski and Chaghi.
Over 80,000 coronavirus cases have been reported across the world, with most in China. The second and third highest numbers of cases have been reported in Italy and South Korea respectively.
