Pakistan clamps down on travel from Afghanistan and Iran

Pakistan on Sunday banned inbound pedestrian movement from neighboring Afghanistan and Iran in an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The decision will be effective from May 4 to May 20 and only Pakistani nationals and only people with extreme emergency medical issues will be allowed to enter the country from both countries.

All outbound pedestrian movement will be allowed.

Border terminals between the three countries will also remain open throughout the week for trade and cargo purposes, Anadolu News reported.

“With the emergence of various variants and to restrain import of any new mutation to Pakistan, the current policy of Land Border Management with Afghanistan and Iran has been reviewed to ensure regulated inbound pedestrian movement and effective management of COVID protocols at border terminals,” a government press release stated.

According to Anadolu, Pakistan has recently detected British, Brazilian, and South African variants of COVID-19, fearing a further rise in the already mounting infections.

It has also banned land and air travel from India, where record infections and deaths have overwhelmed the health care system.

The government has also decided to increase the strength of health and security officials at border terminals with Iran and Afghanistan for implementation of the testing protocols, and control high traffic density.

Inbound pedestrians will undergo a rapid antigen test, and Pakistani nationals who test positive will be shifted to nearby quarantine facilities.

Inbound Afghan pedestrians with exemptions who test positive will be reverted to the home country.

Pakistan has registered 829,933 cases, including 18,070 deaths.