Meeting discusses return of Pakistani citizens stranded in Afghanistan

A meeting of officials of government departments concerned was held at Tehsil Guest House on Sunday to review measures initiated prior to bring back stranded Pakistan from Afghanistan via Torkham border.

The meeting chaired by Director Health, merged districts Dr Niaz, was attended by focal person of entry points of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Qasim, Assistant Commissioner (AC), Landi Kotal Muhammad Imran, Additional AC Shamsul Islam, officials of police, public health, civil defense and representatives of forces. It is pertinent to mention here that more than 2000 Pakistan nationals have stranded due to suspension of Pak-Afghan borders - Torkham and Chaman - in threat of spread of coronavirus.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Niaz said that the government intended to bring back the stuck Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan through Torkham border to be expecting in near future and the main purpose of the moot was to examine the facilities to be provided to them while quarantined them.

He added that all precautionary steps would be taken on the occasion of the arrival of the stranded persons to curtain spread of the deadly disease in the area.

Besides, lack of staff, health officials had been deployed in all quarantined and isolation ward to treat the expected Covid-19 suspected patients. He assured that services of health officials would be hired, if needed to tackle the extraordinary situation pertaining to Coivd-19.

Dr Qasim while sharing details said that batch-wise entry plan of the trapped Pakistanis had been chalked out to easily deal them and each batch would comprise 1000 persons.

He said that following accommodating of the stranded persons in quarantined centres established in Landi Kotal, blood sample of every Pakistani citizen would be taken and after lab test result they would be sent to isolation or to quarantine centre for certain period.

He maintained that the situation was under control in Khyber and so far 13 persons confirmed and suspected cases had been reported in district Khyber.

Earlier AC, Landi Kotal Muhammad Imran briefed the participants of the initiatives adopted in the wake of the coronavirus.

The officials also visited the quarantine centres and inspected the provided facilities. According to the local administration official quarantine centres for 787 persons had been set up in Landi Kotal to house suspected Covid-19 affectees, expecting to come across the border.