SINCE the outbreak of the new strain of the coronavirus, Covid-19, started being reported from Iran, Taftan — situated on the Pakistan side of the border and an entry point into the country — became a focus of attention for having a potential role in the spread of the illness. Few, however, paid attention to how the local population of this small town in Balochistan’s Chagai district continues to suffer as a result of the spectre of the virus, as well as the restrictions imposed by the government.

The provincial government made multiple decisions that affected people’s lives, especially pilgrims that were expecting to return to Pakistan from Iran via the Taftan border. As Covid-19 started spreading in Pakistan, one of the first steps to be taken was that the border crossing at this point was closed on Feb 23 — only to be reopened five days later. Consequently, the town saw an influx of thousands of Pakistani returnees virtually all at once, while in earlier years they had arrived in staged batches. With some governmental back and forth over the details of the quarantine measures they were to be subjected to (whether in Taftan or the pilgrims’ home provinces) as they prepared to start the journey to the provincial capital Quetta, some 700km away, the burden proved huge for this small town of some 15,000 souls. Carrying it was well beyond the latter’s limited resource capacities, amongst the challenges being a sparse infrastructure of basic health facilities and administrative systems.

Taftan was quite probably the first town in Pakistan to witness a lockdown, which was imposed soon after the border was closed and applied to all sorts of movement, inter-country trade in particular. According to Amanullah Muhammad Hasni, president of the Anjuman-i-Tajran or the union of traders of the area, some 5,000 labourers were rendered unemployed as the import and export of commodities were curtailed in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19. “Several families, including those that were in Taftan for business purposes, left for other parts of the country given the fears regarding virus outbreak as well as the closure of the border crossing,” he says. “This transit point was also a significant source of income for the local population.” Mr Hasni adds that the shortage of Iranian LPG gas, petrol, diesel, and other commodities increased the troubles faced by Taftan’s population, but these were virtually overlooked by the provincial and federal governments.

Meanwhile, Haji Allah Nazar — a local politician and tribesman — expresses fears of the local population being exposed to/ infected by Covid-19, since the area, including residential localities, is visited often by paramedical staff, personnel of the Levies force, and dozens of daily wagers that work with various quarantine centres in Taftan. He complains that the town has been forgotten, claiming that so far there has been no disinfectant spraying against the virus, or testing/screening of residents.

“These people have been left alone to combat a global virus that is knocking at the doorstep,” he rues. “Taftan hosted thousands of pilgrims, traders, students, tourists, etc, who had travelled to many different countries that are struggling with the Covid-19 menace. We never resisted their stay and, indeed, offered our support to the local administration. This ought to have been acknowledged, and our needs addressed, but we were forgotten.”

However the Balochistan government’s focal person for Covid-19 prevention, Mir Umair Mohammad Hasni, says that screening and testing for the virus will begin in Taftan as soon as the most vulnerable people staying at quarantine centres have been tested. He met local notables during his five-day stay in the area and assured them of his full support in their demand for food rations and other interventions.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2020