ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar has questioned the United Kingdom’s decision of putting Pakistan on the ‘red list’ amid surging coronavirus cases.
In a statement on Twitter, Asad Umar said, “Every country has a right to take decisions to safeguard the health of their citizens. However, the recent decision by UK govt to add some countries including Pakistan on the red list raises a legitimate question whether choice of countries is based on science or foreign policy,” he added.
Every country has a right to take decisions to safeguard the health of their citizens. However, the recent decision by UK govt to add some countries including Pakistan on the red list raises a legitimate question whether choice of countries is based on science or foreign policy pic.twitter.com/BAzaW1Lc8l
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) April 3, 2021
Asad Umar also shared a letter by British MP in Bradford Naz Shah written to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab raising apprehension over Pakistan being added to the ‘red list’ and the scientific reasoning for the data.
In the letter dated March 30, the Pakistan-origin MP has said that according to recent available data for the last seven day, France, Germany and India have substantially higher numbers of infections per 100,000. According to data shared by her, Pakistan has 13 cases, while India had 24, Germany had 137, France 403 while the UK itself has 54 cases per 100,000 cases.
READ MORE: UK adds Pakistan to ‘red list’, imposes travel bans from April 9
Naz Shah had noted that South African variant isn’t a concern in Pakistan unlike France and other countries. He questioned why the UK government had not included France, Germany and India in the red list.
She expressed concern and said the UK government doesn’t have a coherent strategy in dealing with the red list and the government “isn’t serious about protecting the British public as its applying decision led to politics not data.”
Naz Shah said the UK government is consciously discriminating against Pakistan and diaspora community. She urged clarification on applying the decision to countries in the red list.
The United Kingdom had added more countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh to its red list from April 9, 2021 in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants internationally.
The British authorities had added Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Kenya to its red list to be effective from 4:00 am (local time) Friday, April 9, 2021 for implementing travel bans on visitors from the countries.
