CHAGAI: Iranian border authorities on Monday urged their Pakistani counterparts at Taftan border to enhance security measures along the border to avoid any untoward situation during the Iranian presidential election scheduled to be held on June 18.

Official sources said that a joint meeting called by the Iranian authorities was held between the officials of both countries at Raahdari Gate in Taftan on Monday night.

Taftan Assistant Commissioner Asmat­ullah Achakzai, along with Naib Rasaldar Ilahi Bakhsh Notezai, participated in the meeting, which was also attended by Mir Javeh Marzabn, Mohammad Raza Akhwan and Agha-e-Hameed.

The officials discussed border-related issues and it was decided that security would be further beefed up on the Pak-Iran border between Taftan and Mir Javeh, a Levies Force officer told Dawn.

He said Mr Asmatullah Achakzai raised the issue of the prolonged closure of Zero Point Gate, which is used for local tax-free trade between Pakistan and Iran.

The Iranian officials assured their Pakistani counterparts that Zero Point would be reopened once the presidential election concluded in Iran.

Blood donors: A ceremony for distribution of awards among blood donors was held in Dalbandin on Monday to mark the World Blood Donation Day by the Bolan Blood Bank (BBB), a non-governmental organisation.

Speaking on the occasion, Chagai Deputy Commissioner Agha Sher Zaman, District Support Manager of the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative Wahab Baloch, BBB Cha­irman Mohammad Bakhsh Baloch and others speakers said that volunteers donating blood were playing a vital role in saving people’s lives.

They said donating blood during a specific gap would help improve health conditions of the donor. They urged the participants to promote awareness among the masses about the importance of blood donation.

The participants and speakers lauded the services of BBB and its Chairman Mohammad Bakhsh Baloch who have been providing free of cost blood to the needy people, particularly thalassemia patients, for the past several years.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2021