KARACHI: The Pakistani foreign office said on Thursday the country’s embassy in Tehran was in close contact with Iranian authorities since they closed the border with Pakistan due to rising COVID-19 cases in a frontier town.
The Iran–Pakistan border is around 1,000 kilometers long and demarcates Pakistan’s Balochistan province from Iran’s Sistan and Balochistan Province.
“The Iranian side has closed border due to high prevalence of COVID in Zahedan,” Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign office, told Arab News, referring to the city and capital of Sistan and Balochistan Province. “The Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran is in close contact with Iranian authorities on this issue.”
Deputy Commissioner of the border town of Chagai, Agha Sher Zaman, said the border was closed only for Pakistani citizens who wanted to visit Iran while those who wished to return home could do so — provided they had received a negative coronavirus test 48 hours prior to travel, and after they had fulfilled other prerequisites determined by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), Pakistan’s federal pandemic response body.
The border, Zaman said, was also open for trade and for Iranian citizens wanting to return to their country: “Iranian citizens also have to have a negative test to travel back home.”
The deputy commissioner said Pakistani citizens coming from Iran were screened and tested at the border and allowed to enter Pakistan only after they tested negative for the coronavirus. Those diagnosed with the disease were quarantined, he said.
Pakistan completely closed its border with Iran on February 24, 2020 after a coronavirus outbreak in the neighboring country that month. However, the Taftan border was reopened in June last year, followed by the reopening of all five border crossing points for trade.
Pakistan says in contact with Iran after Tehran closes border over rising COVID-19 cases
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Pakistan says in contact with Iran after Tehran closes border over rising COVID-19 cases
- Tehran has closed border with Pakistan due to high prevalence of coronavirus in Zahedan, capital of Sistan and Balochistan Province
- Border closed only for Pakistani citizens who wanted to visit Iran, those returning home can do so with negative COVID-19 test
Pakistan, Bangladesh explore avenues for cooperation in railways sector
- Islamabad, Dhaka have lately been looking to strengthen institutional linkages to broaden cooperation amid thaw in ties
- Pakistan offers expertise in railway development, rolling stock and manufacturing to visiting Bangladeshi officials
KARACHI: Pakistani and Bangladeshi officials have discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the railways sector, including technical collaboration and capacity-building, the Pakistani railways ministry said on Saturday, as the two sides explore avenues to expand bilateral ties.
The statement came after a visit of Bangladesh’s Secretary for International Organizations Farhad Islam and High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan to the Pakistan Railways Workshop Division in Lahore.
It comes amid Islamabad’s efforts to rebuild relations with Bangladesh since the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, with both countries looking to strengthen institutional linkages to broaden their cooperation.
The visiting Bangladeshi officials were welcomed at the Pakistan Railways headquarters and briefed on the overall functioning, technical capabilities and projects, according to the Pakistani railways ministry.
“The delegation was subsequently given a detailed tour of the Mughalpura Locomotive Workshop, where they were briefed on various stages of locomotive maintenance, rehabilitation, and manufacturing processes,” the ministry said.
“The distinguished guests termed their visit as highly informative, productive, and encouraging, and appreciated the technical expertise and professional competence of Pakistan Railways.”
Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until Bangladesh’s secession following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that long cast a shadow over bilateral ties.
Both countries have moved closer since August 2024, following the ouster of Hasina who was considered an India ally. While Pakistan-Bangladesh ties warm up, relations between Dhaka and New Delhi remain strained over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina.
A short documentary highlighting the working and operational strength of Pakistan Railways workshops was also presented to the Bangladeshi officials during their visit.
“Federal Minister for Railways, Mr. Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, remains fully committed to further strengthening bilateral relations with brotherly country Bangladesh, particularly in the areas of railway development, exchange of expertise, rolling stock, and cooperation in manufacturing sectors,” the railways ministry said.
“Minister has expressed his resolve to take forward railway-to-railway cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing that mutual collaboration in the railway sector can yield substantial benefits for both nations.”
