ISLAMABAD: Following the British government’s decision to keep Pakistan on its “red list” for international travel, Pakistani High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Moazzam Ahmed Khan, said on Thursday he had asked the British government to remove the country’s name from the travel ban, local media reported.
Travelers on the red list are required to undergo a costly 10-day hotel quarantine on arrival and also need to take a COVID-19 test before they enter the United Kingdom.
The changes — which will come into effect at 0300 GMT on Sunday — put India, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and France on England’s so-called “amber” list that mandates virus tests before and after arrival for those jabbed in those territories.
Khan said the coronavirus situation was “better” in Pakistan than India “and our government has done tremendous work in its COVID-19 response.”
“Pakistan’s coronavirus response has been acknowledged globally,” he was quoted as saying by The News newspaper.
The British government should “appreciate Pakistan’s coronavirus response, review its decisions, and consider Pakistan’s recommendations,” the envoy added.
The UK government last month eased the rules to allow people from amber countries fully jabbed with a vaccine approved by regulators in the United States and European Union to enter without having to self-isolate.
