ISLAMABAD: Oman on Thursday suspended until further notice air travel from 24 countries, including Pakistan and India, the Sultanate’s pandemic response body said.
The other countries in the list are India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Tunisia, Lebanon, Brunei, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Iran, Argentina, Brazil, Sudan, Iraq, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Colombia, Nigeria, Libya.
The flight curbs have been introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus into the country’s borders, as all of the countries on the list are currently tackling outbreaks caused by the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.
“Arrivals to the Sultanate from 24 countries have been suspended until further notice in order to preserve the safety of everyone and prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” the Gulf state’s coronavirus task force tweeted.
The country of 5 million has reported 1,824 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 278,560 with 3,339 deaths.
Nearly 40 percent of Oman’s population are expatriates, coming mostly from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and other countries on the travel ban list.
Oman suspends travel from 24 countries, including Pakistan, India
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Oman suspends travel from 24 countries, including Pakistan, India
- Flight curbs introduced until further notice to prevent the spread of the coronavirus into Sultanate’s borders
- All countries on the list are currently tackling outbreaks caused by highly contagious Delta variant of coronavirus
Pakistan’s president defends ongoing strikes in Afghanistan, urges Kabul to dismantle militants
- Afghanistan on Thursday launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday
- Pakistan’s military says it is only targeting Afghan military installations to avoid civilian casualties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s president on Monday defended his country’s ongoing military strikes in neighboring Afghanistan, saying Islamabad tried all forms of diplomacy before targeting militants operating from Afghan territory, and called on the Taliban government in Kabul to disarm groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan earlier said it is in “open war” with Afghanistan, alarming the international community. The border area remains a stronghold for militant organizations including Al-Qaeda and the Daesh (Islamic State) group.
“(The Afghan Taliban) must choose to dismantle the terror groups that survive on conflict and its war economy,” Asif Ali Zardari said during a speech to lawmakers, adding that “no state accepts serial attacks on its soil.”
Afghanistan on Thursday launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday. Since then, Pakistan has carried out operations along the border, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claiming the killing of 435 Afghan forces and the capture of 31 Afghan positions.
Kabul has denied such claims.
In Afghanistan, the deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said Pakistan’s military fired mortar shells at a refugee camp in eastern Kunar province, killing three children and injuring three others.
Afghanistan’s defense ministry said Afghan forces carried out strikes targeting a Pakistani military facility near Paktia province, causing “substantial losses and heavy casualties.”
Pakistan’s military did not respond to questions. It has said Pakistan is only targeting Afghan military installations to avoid civilian casualties.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge of violence in recent months and blames it on the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. It operates both inside Pakistan and from Afghan territory.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of providing safe havens for the TTP, which Kabul denies.
The latest cross-border fighting ended a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkiye in October. The two sides failed to reach a permanent agreement during talks in Istanbul.
Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s call for talks, saying, “We have never walked away from dialogue.”
The Pakistani leader again accused Afghanistan of acting as a proxy for India by sheltering militant groups.
“Stop being used by another country as a battlefield for their ambitions,” he said.
Zardari cited a recent report from the United Nations Security Council’s monitoring team that described the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan as an extra-regional threat.
