'Absolutely shameful': Pak Minister slams UK for putting Islamabad on travel 'red list'
Apr 19, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], April 19 : A Pakistani minister has lashed out at Britain government or its decision to put Islamabad on the red list of countries whose nationals are not allowed to enter the United Kingdom, saying that Pakistanis are being treated in "inhumane manner".
Pakistan Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari termed the United Kingdom government's approach towards Pakistanis and Britishers of Pakistani origins as "discriminatory".
"This is absolutely shameful. These people have paid 1,750 pounds per person to undergo 10 days of compulsory quarantine in the UK and are being treated in this inhumane manner simply because they happen to be of Pakistani origin," the minister tweeted.
"This discriminatory approach towards Pakistanis and Britishers of Pak origin is yet another reflection of putting Pakistan in a list of Red zone countries but leaving out states like India - which has one of the fastest spirals of Covid cases plus a new lethal variant also!" he added.
With these messages, Mazari also uploaded a video made by Pakistanis quarantined in the UK showing the predicament of about 18 to 19 families, Dawn reported.
They complained that they were being denied food and their children having to eat cold food with cases of food poisoning. They also complained of having to fast without Sehri.
"We want food that is edible by elders and children alike," said a Pakistani quarantined in the UK, requesting that their basic human rights should be met.
Amid growing concerns over the spread of COVID-19, Britain earlier this month said it would add four more countries to its travel ban unless they are British or Irish nationals.
On April 2, British High Commission to Pakistan, Christian Turner, said his government was keeping its border measures under close review because of Covid-19.
"It is being announced that Pakistan has been added to the UK's red list of travel ban countries," he said in a video message posted on his Twitter account.
"Anyone arriving into England after that will have to book a managed quarantine hotel in advance," Turner had tweeted.
Those who come to Britain from countries on the red list will be refused entry while returning Britons must submit to 10 days of mandatory quarantine in hotels, Dawn reported.
