Indian woman with deadly corona variant enters Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A non-diplomat staff of the Indian High Commission contracting the deadly Indian variant of coronavirus entered Pakistan on Saturday due to the Indian authorities ‘error’. The Indian High Commission (IHC) has been asked to place the woman under mandatory quarantine along with 12 others, who traveled from India to Pakistan and then to Islamabad. India has yet to offer any word about the development. Ms. Manju, 32, who came from Dhehradun and was working in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, crossed over into Pakistan through the Wagha border along with 12 other non-diplomat staff, who had gone to India for holidays. Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary told The News Sunday that a group of 12 officials and family members of the Indian High Commission (IHC) in Islamabad crossed over to Pakistan through the Wagha border on 22 May in line with the laid down COVID related health safety protocols. All 12 passengers carried negative PCR reports. However, upon arrival, the spouse of an official of the IHC tested positive on RAT conducted by the Pakistani health officials. He said the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) had advised all 12 officials and their family members along with the driver to undergo mandatory quarantine. The Indian high commission has been advised to strictly follow the guidelines provided by the NCOC, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said. Dr. Faisal Sultan, who is SAPM and point-man of the federal government for corona, didn’t comment on the development when approached. It is yet to be determined whether the entry of an active corona patient was part of an intrigue, or it was sheer mistake of the Indian immigration authorities posted at Attari.