RAWALPINDI: An Afghan national who arrived in Islamabad from Kabul on a Pakistan International Airlines flight on Friday was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after he was found to be suffering from fever and flu.

After the PIA flight PK-250 carrying 159 passengers landed at Islamabad International Airport, its passengers were screened by the health officials. One of the travellers identified as Allah Gul Achakzai, 29, resident of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, was found to be suffering from fever and flu and shifted to the PIMS.

However, he was not suffering from cough or complaining difficulties in breathing.

According to his travel history, Mr Gul had not travelled to China, Iran, South America or Africa during the last 14 days.

A wide variety of safety measures, including wearing of gloves and masks by the airport employees, has been taken by the Pakistani authorities since the outbreak of coronavirus in China. In addition to it, advance technology, like thermal scanning of passengers at four major airports of the country, is being used to detect any suspected patients of coronavirus.

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) has increased checks at all International airports across the country by introducing new screening measures to prevent the virus from entering the country though air travellers.

In case a traveller is identified with the virus, he/she will be kept in an isolation room at the airport and then shifted to the PIMS hospital to be kept in quarantine.

Fake visa

Meanwhile, six passengers proceeding to Malaysia were off-loaded by Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration staff at Islamabad International Airport after their visas were found fake.

The passengers were off-loaded during the immigration clearance of passengers travelling by PIA flight PK-894 when their visit visas for Malaysia were suspected to be fake.

During investigation, they disclosed that they had paid Rs 1,040,000 to a travel agent for getting the six visas.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2020