Iran closes border with Pakistan for 10 days

Iran has closed its borders with Pakistan for 10 days in the run-up to Nauroze festivities there to mark the Iranian New Year.
Iranian border authorities had informed their counterparts about the decision of their government, official sources said.
The border, that was closed yesterday, would remain so for ten days. All kinds of trade between the two countries will remain suspended.
Most of the people running their businesses at Zero Point on the Pakistan side left for their hometowns after closing their shops and business centres, Dawn daily reported today.
The Iranians celebrate Nauroze from March 19 every year. The celebrations will continue for ten days throughout Iran.

As a precautionary measure, the Iranians have also beefed up security by deploying more troops along the border with Pakistan.
Earlier, the Iranian government had sacked three border force officers for negligence in the aftermath of kidnapping of five Iranian border security guards allegedly by a Balochistan-based extremist outfit on February six.
Even though both are Muslim countries, Shia-dominated Iran has alleged that Pakistani-based Sunni sectarian groups target it.