COVID-19: Over 400 stranded Pakistanis return from Afghanistan

Over 400 Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan due to the restrictions in place to curb the coronavirus pandemic crossed over to Pakistan through the Torkham border and have been placed under quarantine, according to a media report on Sunday.

The 462 returnees, who arrived on Saturday, include 379 men, 47 women and 60 children. With this, the total number of Pakistanis who have returned from Afghanistan amid the ongoing crisis has reached 1,632, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Hundreds of Pakistanis and Afghan nationals are stuck on either side due to closure of the border as a precautionary measure to contain the deadly coronavirus from spreading.

Shamsul Islam, the focal person for the return of stranded Pakistanis, said that more people were expected to come back via the Torkham border in the coming days.

They were shifted to a quarantine facility in Jamrud in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after completion of the necessary immigration procedure, he said.

The swab samples of the newly returned people would be taken after 48 hours of their arrival and they would be given complete health facilities, the report said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 12,644 on Saturday with 256 deaths.