ISLAMABAD   -   Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, has criticised Britain’s decision to ban entry from Pakistan effective form April 9.

He took to twitter on Saturday to question the Britain’s decision to place four more nations including Pakistan, on the “red list” of countries effective from April 9. “Every country has a right to take decisions to safeguard the health of their citizens. However, the recent decision by the UK government 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 tweeted.

The UK had said that the decision to add Kenya, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines to the list was based on advice from public health experts as well as scientific data.

The Federal Minister also shared a letter written by British MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, to British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs, Dominic Raab MP dated March 30, 2021 prior to the restrictions being announced. “I am led to believe that Pakistan is about to enter the ‘red list’. I have a large Pakistani diaspora within my constituency which is why I am writing to simply ask, what scientific data is any decision being led by,” Shah asked in the letter. She also quoted the recent available data for the last 7 days on the infections. “According to recent available data for the last seven days, France, Germany and India have substantially higher numbers of infections per 100,000. “It must also be noted that as of today the South African variant isn’t a concern in Pakistan whereas this isn’t the case for example in France and other countries. This begs the question why hasn’t the government extended the red list to France, Germany and India?” she added.

Shah maintained that the British government didn’t have a coherent strategy in dealing with the ‘red list’ and was not serious about protecting the British public and applying decisions led by politics not data. “Contrary to what the government is saying, it is clearly not making decisions led by science/data. Further, it is knowingly and consciously discriminating against Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora community,” Shah said further. Under the new restrictions that will come into force from April 9, passengers from Pakistan will be denied entry to the UK unless they are British or Irish nationals or have residency rights.