May 14, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, May 13: The government has decided to keep the Pakistan-China border closed till the normalization of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome situation, official sources revealed here on Tuesday.

Earlier, the opening of the border, which was scheduled for May 1, was postponed for a month. However, sources said, the timeframe for the reopening of the border was postponed in view of the reports that the Sars situation in the world’s most populous country could be far more worse than previously admitted.

The border is normally closed for trade and travelling in early November due to heavy snowfall at the Khunjerab Pass and opened on May 1.

Official sources said: “The decision has been taken as a preventive measure by the government.”

Though the government had dispatched manpower and equipment to the Sust checkpost for screening passengers for possible Sars infection, but sources said, authorities there were of the opinion that the arrangements were insufficient in view of the volume of traffic.

The customs staff was recently withdrawn twice from the checkpoint and due to the stoppage of business activity huge loss is being caused to the national exchequer.

A statement of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), issued by the United Nations Information Centre here, has asked for avoiding over-reaction to the situation. “The impact of Sars on many countries is already greater than last year’s terrorist attack on Bali and airlines have been hit harder than they were by the war in Iraq,” it said. The WTO stated that the reality of the epidemic is being compounded by its coverage.