Pak gives stranded Afghans 4-day window to leave

Islamabad, April 5 (IANS) At the special request of the Afghanistan government, Pakistan has decided to allow a four-day window to stranded Afghan nationals wishing to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic, a media report said on Sunday."The Torkham and Chaman land border crossings will be opened for a specific period from April 6 to April 9 to facilitate Afghan nationals," The Express Tribune quoted a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Saturday.Pakistan had sealed its borders both with Iran and Afghanistan earlier this month as part of its measures to control the spread of coronavirus. The government, however, later allowed the movement of goods at Chaman border.Pakistan currently hosts around 2.8 million both documented and undocumented Afghan refugees. Besides that, there are thousands of others who shuttle between the two countries, said The Express Tribune report.It is believed that many Afghans, who visited Pakistan due to business or other reasons, remained stuck in the country due to border closure in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
--IANS ksk/