ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom (UK) on Friday delisted Pakistan and 8 other countries including Turky and Bangladesh from its red list.
According to British media, UK formally removed Pakistan and 8 other countries from its red list on September 17,2021.
The UK had added Pakistan, India and dozens of other countries on its red list some 6 months ago and imposed restrictions, banning entry of the travellors of these countries to enter into England. The rising cases of COVID -19 was made the basis of putting Pakistan and many other countries on the red list by UK.
UK was among those countries where COVID – 19 had hit the worst and caused huge loss of human lives. Keeping in view the situation of rising COVID -19 cases in UK, Pakistan immediately accepted that UK policy of post COVID-19 was the same for all the countries where the pandemic was more deadly, but it got a big shock when UK removed India where its variant had killed large number of the patients , but kept Pakistan on the red list where comparatively situation was for better than India.
Naturally, UK discriminatory decision was not taken by Pakistan in good spirit. Pakistan responded to UK from the highest level to express its concern of excluding India from the red list, but keeping it on the red list.
Pakistan had strong feelings that UK decision to keep Pakistan on the red list was discriminatory. Prime minister, Imran Khan, spoke to his British counterpart to demand from Boris Johnson to give Pakistan a fair treatment on the issue of the red list. The prime minister gave statistics to his British counterpart to support his arguements that Indian lobby in his government was misleading him to keep Pakistan on the red list. Boris Johnson had promised Imran Khan to investigate the issue and give Pakistan a fair treatment on the issue of the red list.
Pakistan welcomed UK decision of delisting it from.the red list.
Asad Umar, federal minister for Planning, commenting on UK decision of removing Pakistan from red list said ” Its good to hear that UK has removed Pakistan from its red list”.
UK High Commissioner to Pakistan , also commented on the issue. He said Pakistan was a very important country and partner to UK in the journey of progress and prosperity. He noted Pakistan and UK will strengthen bilatral ties in the future.
