Pakistan on Thursday decided to suspend all flight operations to Iran from midnight after the first two coronavirus cases were confirmed in the country a day earlier.
A statement by the Aviation Division said Pakistan has decided to cease all direct flights to and from Iran, from midnight until further notice.
A day earlier, Pakistan suspended train services between Quetta and the border town of Taftan till the reopening of the Pakistan-Iran border closed earlier after the coronavirus outbreak in Iran.
On Sunday, Pakistan had closed borders with Iran following a spike in novel coronavirus cases.
Two coronavirus cases emerge in Pakistan
The move follows the announcement of two coronavirus cases in Pakistan.
“I can confirm the first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to clinical standard protocols and both of them are stable,” Dr Zafar Mirza, the special assistant to the prime minister on National Health Services, wrote on his official Twitter handle.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also posted on micro-blogging website Twitter and said passengers travelling for Umrah or on tourist visas will not be able to travel to Saudi Arabia, as ordered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement further said that people can only travel to the kingdom if they have permission or permanent residence, adding that PIA flights will continue as per usual.
