Aug 27, 2021: Despite weeks of lobbying by the Pakistan High Commission and British Pakistani MPs, the British government’s travel review on Thursday showed no change for the country, which remains on the red list.

The UK government’s decision would be a shock to travelers from Pakistan, who face a 10-day mandatory hotel quarantine that costs $2,250 on arrival in the UK.

Labor MP for Manchester Gorton Shadow, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Afzal Khan, tweeted: “Completely disappointed by the government’s decision to keep Pakistan on the red list. With the crisis in Afghanistan underway, Pakistan can play a huge role in delivering key humanitarian aid. The decision will upset many and cause major disruption.”

Completely disappointed by the Gvt’s decision to keep Pakistan on the red list

With the crisis in Afghanistan underway, Pakistan can play a huge role in delivering key humanitarian aid

The decision will upset many & cause major disruption

I will continue to follow this matter pic.twitter.com/uJ1Fn8TnRY

— Afzal Khan MP (@Afzal4Gorton) August 26, 2021

Mr Khan wrote a letter to him from MP Robert Courts, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, who responded to Mr Khan’s letter by saying that the government had decided to put Pakistan on the red list during the last travel review.

Mr Courts said, “I recognise the impact that the decision for Pakistan to remain on the red list will have on individuals, however, it is right that the government does all it can to reduce the risk of new strains of Covid-19 being imported into the UK.”

He added that the decision was taken to protect against new variants of Covid-19 “at a critical time for the vaccine programme” in the UK.

“Variants of concern are detected through wider surveillance mechanisms such as genomic surveillance, but capability and capacity for this is limited in Pakistan,” Mr Courts said in the letter. “UK data shows that a relatively high number of travellers were arriving in the UK from Pakistan weekly, of them, there was a relatively high rate of people testing positive for Covid-19, including people testing positive for a variant of concern.”

The letter added, “To consider removing Pakistan from the red list, ministers would need to be satisfied that the risk of variants of concern being imported into the UK has been significantly reduced”.

Earlier this month, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, expressed hope that Pakistan’s status would be changed to amber, which would eliminate the need for hotel quarantine.

Mr Khan said the data was being shared with the British government, adding that he had raised the issue of Pakistan with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

On Wednesday, the High Commissioner shared Pakistan’s latest data with Lord Bethel, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Despite lobbying and hope for a change in Pakistan’s amber list, Thursday’s update showed no change in Pakistan’s status.

Disappointed with decision to retain🇵🇰on Red List. Entails continuing hardship for thousands of Pakistanis and British Pakistanis. Had shared all relevant data. Question mark over equity & consistency of criteria being employed!@grantshapps @sajidjavid @JimBethel @tariqahmadbt

— Pakistan High Commission London (@PakistaninUK) August 26, 2021

The high commission issued a statement on Twitter: “Disappointed with decision to retain Pakistan on Red List. Entails continuing hardship for thousands of Pakistanis and British Pakistanis. Had shared all relevant data. Question mark over equity & consistency of criteria being employed!”

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