Travel restrictions on Pakistan continues as UK retains the country on red list. To justify their decision, the British government had expressed their concerns that the Covid-19 testing and vaccination statistics were not as accurate as they seem and they fear that the actual situation may be worse than what is represented on paper.
Speaking on the matter, the Information Minister of Pakistan Mr. Fawad Chaudhry briefed the media that the cabinet has decided to discuss the testing mechanism with the UK authorities in hopes of getting out of the red list.
For this purpose, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan will have a detailed discussion with the UK’s chief medical scientist.
Read more: SAPM says Pak in UK Red List due to Nawaz’s fake medical reports
Fawad Chaudhry also said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had spoken to his British counterpart Boris Johnson, who believed that discussions should be held over the testing mechanism in Pakistan.
“We are putting in all our efforts to have Pakistan taken out of UK’s red list, as it affects numerous Pakistani families” Fawad said.
British Govt challenges validity of #NCOC data to keep #Pakistan in red list.
Letter of British govt, as posted by @azharjavaiduk begets a clarification by @OfficialNcoc @Asad_Umar if data is faulty and being manipulated? https://t.co/5VNlUjOn77— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) August 29, 2021
Restraining Pakistan in the red list has raised many eyebrows recently especially after countries like India were added to the Amber list, keeping in mind that the current Delta Variant originated from India itself.
There are many British-Pakistanis that are constantly facing problems due to the travel restrictions imposed by the British government. There is always heavy traffic when it comes to travel between Pakistan and Britain as many people not only live in Britain but others also go to look for better education and employment opportunities.
Read more: UK sparks major upset as it keeps Pakistan on red list
With Pakistan’s name retained on the red list, anyone travelling from Pakistan to Britain will have to follow certain protocols such as a mandatory 10-day stay at designated hotels. The cost spend on travelling becomes double keeping in mind that these quarantine hotels are not cheap to stay in.
Due to this, business travel is suffering as is students’ educational pursuits and family interactions involving marriages, deaths, and vacationing. If the travel restrictions are not lifted, many more people will continue to suffer.