ISLAMABAD - The inbound pedestrian movement at the Afghanistan and Iran borders would cease with effect from midnight 4/5 May (0001PST) with exception to Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan and Iran, desirous to return.
The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Sunday decided to contain pedestrian movement at Afghanistan and Iran borders in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 variants. The forum reviewed the existing land border management policy with Afghanistan and Iran to ensure regulated inbound pedestrian movement and effective management of Covid protocols at the border terminals.
According to the decision taken by the NCOC, the Revised Land Border Management Policy will be effective from midnight 4/5 May (0001 PST) till midnight 19/20 May (0001 PST) and applicable only to inbound pedestrians with no effect on the existing cargo/trade (bilateral/ Afghan Transit Trade) movement. Border terminals will remain open 7 days a week.
Employment strength of LEAs/ health staff at the border terminals will be increased for implementation of testing protocols and to control high traffic density.
“With the emergence of various variants and to restrain import of any new mutation to Pakistan, 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 (BTs),” the NCOC maintained. Outlining the cardinals of the revised policy, the NCOC in a statement said that the inbound pedestrian movement would cease with effect from midnight 4/5 May (0001 PST) with exception to Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan and Iran desirous to return and extreme medical emergency cases.
According to the statement, all outbound pedestrian movement is permissible with the testing and quarantine protocols in place. It further stated that inbound pedestrians will undergo Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). Any Pakistani national testing positive will be shifted to a nearby quarantine facility. “Inbound pedestrian with Afghan exemptions will also undergo RAT testing at BTs.
