(Karachi) Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that cross-border movement at Torkham has come to a complete halt as the crossing was closed to control the spread of coronavirus from the neighbouring countries on the instructions of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

In a tweet, Rashid said: "On the advice of the NCOC all types of immigration departure and arrival will be closed from today at Torkham Border till the fresh guidelines of NCOC."

Earlier, 34 Pakistanis tested positive for coronavirus on return from Afghanistan via the Torkham border.

Torkham opens for pedestrian travel

Health officials at the Pak-Afghan Dosti Hospital in Torkham said that all infected people were quarantined at the District Headquarters Hospital in Landi Kotal. In wake of the Covid-19 infections, the authorities closed the Torkham border for pedestrian movement.

Trade with Afghanistan remained suspended for several days but later the border was opened for cross-border movement after scores of jobless labourers and porters held a protest demonstration in Landi Kotal.