Aug 5, 2021: British MPs on Thursday criticized the UK government’s “callous” decision to put Pakistan on its “red list” for international travel, while India is now in the “Amber List” despite a deteriorating covid19 situation.

My Statement: Pakistan remains on Red List whilst India moves to Amber pic.twitter.com/PLV898tCeo

— Naz Shah MP 💙 (@NazShahBfd) August 4, 2021

The UK operates a “traffic light” system for international travel, in which low-risk countries are given green status for quarantine-free travel, medium-risk countries are given amber status, and those arriving in red countries are given 10 days of quarantine and need to spend time isolated in a hotel.

Pakistan was placed on the red list in early April, followed by India on April 19 due to the rising number of cases and the diversity of the Delta. India, along with Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, will be moved to the Amber List from August 8 in an update of the travel lists issued by the British government.

I had stated in April this year that UK was playing politics on Covid restrictions when they put Pak on Red List 2 weeks before India despite the Covid management disaster in India as opp to Pak's good management raised internationally. NOW UK again playing politics targeting Pak pic.twitter.com/rIHTEDXqRU

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) August 5, 2021

Bradford West MP Naz Shah said she was “surprised” by the move, adding that this was not the first time the UK had shown a “critical attitude” in handling its quarantined traffic light system.

She questioned why Pakistan is still on the red list when its seven-day infection is 20 per 100,000 in India compared to 14 per 100,000 people and “far less than the vast majority of amber list destinations”.

Shah said, “The last time this government preferred political rather than science and jeopardized our nation’s cowardly efforts, it failed to put India on the red list,” he said. “Because of this, the Delta variant has become the most prominent variant in the UK.”

Yes I am writing a letter to Shapps as we speak https://t.co/mfGW9PTG8B

— Yasmin Qureshi MP (@YasminQureshiMP) August 4, 2021

So tonight @grantshapps and the UK Government announced that the UAE, Qatar, India, and Bahrain will be moved to the amber list for travel – that's great.

But Pakistan remains on the red list.https://t.co/QyOp6XJaxE

— Yasmin Qureshi MP (@YasminQureshiMP) August 4, 2021

Despite Pakistan not having any variants of concern, it remains on the red list.

I have questioned the Govt directly, spoken in parliament, asked parl qs, and coordinated letters, to no avail.

India, where the delta variant originated, is now amber.https://t.co/rQN9YqXuCt

— Yasmin Qureshi MP (@YasminQureshiMP) August 4, 2021

Calling the decision “unacceptable”, she vowed to raise the issue further. Bolton Southeast MP Yasmeen Qureshi also noted that Pakistan was on the UK travel red list despite being “low risk”.

Decisions taken in isolation with no scrutiny are never good for the people we seek to represent.

These decisions have big health/personal consequences.

Many people don’t want to holiday, it’s to see family they’ve not seen for over a year or say goodbye to loved ones. 2/2

— Sarah Owen MP (@SarahOwen_) August 4, 2021

She said she had questioned the government and tried to resolve the issue but to no avail. She said that the UK government was trying to punish Pakistan in favor of possible economic benefits.”This is clear and blatant discrimination against Pakistan”.

She tweeted, “To add insult to injury, the hotel’s quarantine cost will increase between £ 450 and £ 800 to a total of 2,200.”

She said she was writing a letter to UK’s Transport Minister Grant Shapps on the matter.

Luton North’s Labor MP, Sawah Owen, also said it was difficult to understand the rationale behind the latest changes.

“When you see figures like this, Tory ministers have a lot of explaining to do as to why India is going amber yet Pakistan and other countries remain red,” she said.