ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday announced it was suspending all international flights to Pakistan for two weeks, hoping to contain coronavirus infections as the country’s confirmed COVID-19 cases reached at least 733 with three fatalities.
The suspension of flights will become effective from 8pm on Saturday and last till the evening of April 4, disrupting the plans of about 200,000 passengers in different countries who were scheduled to land in Pakistan during this period.
“This is a difficult decision for the government … but we can’t take any risk and want to ensure the safety of the public,” Moeed Yusuf, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on National Security, said while addressing a news conference along with Dr. Zafar Mirza and chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal in Islamabad.
The flight suspension will not be applicable to cargo planes and diplomatic missions, Yusuf said, adding that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will also be allowed to bring its planes back.
Pakistan has been struggling to fight the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed almost 12,000 lives worldwide as of Saturday and crippled health care services around the globe, by introducing a raft of precautionary measures. These include the establishment of large quarantine centers, screening domestic and international passengers and testing persons with virus symptoms.
Earlier on Tuesday, Islamabad made it mandatory for all passengers flying to Pakistan to produce a copy of coronavirus test results obtained 24 hours before boarding. The measure was heavily criticized as unpragmatic, but came into effect on Saturday.
“This COVID-19 certification for international passengers will be abolished when we resume our flight operation,” Yusuf said, adding the international flight suspension was “temporary.”
Yusuf also clarified the government was not locking down any city, amid rumors widely circulating on social media.
“The news [regarding the possible lockdown of cities] circulating on the social media is fake,” he said. “Please pay heed to information released through official channels only.”
However, Pakistan’s most populous province Punjab, announced on Saturday it would be shutting down its shopping malls, markets and public places until at least Tuesday morning. This follows a partial closure in southern Sindh province earlier in the week, as the number of confirmed cases there surged.
Meanwhile, the NDMA chairman said the government was building special rooms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces to set up quarantine centers.
“These will be special rooms with attached bathrooms,” he said, adding that the government was also procuring test kits, personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators to deal with the situation.
Earlier, the country’s railways minister, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, said the government was shutting operations of 46 trains till the 15th of Ramadan.
“Around 12 trains will stop running from tomorrow while another 34 trains will stop operating from midnight March 24,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday.
Pakistan suspends all international flights for two weeks
https://arab.news/rmfcn
Pakistan suspends all international flights for two weeks
- Flight suspension is likely to affect about 200,000 passengers until April 4
- The news about possible lockdown of cities is fake, says Moeed Yusuf
Pakistan highlights Gwadar transshipment role as shipping routes face disruption over regional tensions
- Pakistani ports possess “untapped potential” to attract global shipping lines for transshipment operations, says minister
- Pakistan eyes leveraging Gwadar as regional transshipment hub as Iran’s closure of Strait of Hormuz disrupts global maritime trade
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday highlighted the importance of the port city of Gwadar’s transshipment role as major shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, face disruption due to Iran’s ongoing conflict with the US and Israel in the Gulf.
The meeting takes place as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that lies between it and Oman. It is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, with roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies passing through it. Iran has vowed it will attack any ship that enters the strait, causing energy prices to rise sharply on Monday amid disruptions to tanker traffic in the waterway.
Gwadar is a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province that lies close to the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani officials have in the past highlighted Gwadar’s geostrategic position as the shortest trade route to the Gulf and Central Asia, stressing that it has the potential to become a regional transshipment hub.
Chaudhry chaired a high-level meeting of government officials to assess emerging logistical challenges facing Pakistan’s trade, particularly in the energy sector, amid tensions in the Gulf.
“Special focus was placed on fully leveraging the potential of Gwadar Port as a regional transshipment hub and positioning it as an alternative of regional instability,” Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said in a statement.
The minister said Pakistani ports possessed “significant untapped potential” to attract international shipping lines for transshipment operations, noting that it could also ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s maritime sector.
Participants of the meeting discussed measures to strengthen Pakistan’s position as a viable alternative transit and transshipment destination, as key waterways are affected by the disruption.
The committee also reviewed proposals to amend relevant rules and regulations to facilitate international transshipment operations through on-dock and off-dock terminals.
The chairmen of the Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust and Gwadar Port Authority attended the meeting, briefing committee members on the current operational readiness of their ports. They spoke about the available capacity for container transshipment, bulk cargo handling and refueling services at Pakistani ports.
The port in Gwadar is a central part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has funneled tens of billions of dollars into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Pakistan has long eyed the deep-sea port as a key asset that can help boost its trade with Central Asian states, the Gulf region and ensure the country earns valuable foreign exchange.
