ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday expressed concern over the United Kingdom’s continued requirement for Pakistani nationals to undergo a costly 10-day hotel quarantine by retaining their country on its “red list” during a phone call with UK’s First Secretary of State Dominic Raab.
The UK authorities placed Pakistan and India on its red list of countries in April due to a surge in COVID-19 delta variant cases, though India was later upgraded to the “amber list” and its nationals are now required to provide proof of vaccination and negative virus test results after their arrival in the UK.
Pakistan’s high commission in London expressed its “disappointment” over Britain’s decision to retain Pakistan’s name on the list in the recent travel update on Thursday.
The country’s health chief Dr. Faisal Sultan had already sent a letter to UK officials earlier this month, showing that his country had the lowest daily cases, daily deaths, test positivity and total mortality in the whole region.
“The Foreign Minister shared concerns over the retention of Pakistan on the ‘Red List’ for travel ban,” the foreign office said in a statement while providing details of the conversation between the two officials. “He noted that the Covid-19 situation in Pakistan has improved and urged the UK government to reconsider its decision.”
The UK official had called Qureshi to discuss the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.
The foreign minister condemned the recent suicide attack near the Kabul airport on Thursday while pointing out that an inclusive political settlement was the best way forward in the war-battered country.
“The Foreign Minister highlighted Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating evacuation of diplomatic personnel and staff of international organizations and others, including British nationals, and assured Pakistan’s continued support in this context,” the statement added.
The UK foreign secretary thanked Pakistan for its support and facilitation.
The two officials also agreed to remain in close contact with each other.
Pakistan raises concern with UK authorities for keeping it on ‘red list’ for travel
https://arab.news/mqqyy
Pakistan raises concern with UK authorities for keeping it on ‘red list’ for travel
- Despite an improvement in the pandemic situation, Pakistani nationals are still required to undergo costly hotel quarantine on arrival in Britain
- Pakistani foreign minister also tells Britain an inclusive political settlement is the best way forward in Afghanistan
Imran Khan’s party seeks ‘confidence-building measures’ after government’s talks offer
- PTI says access to jailed founding leader essential for talks to be considered credible
- Government says it’s ready for dialogue but nothing will happen until Khan favors the idea
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party said on Saturday it would only consider the government’s offer for talks credible if it is accompanied by “concrete confidence-building measures,” such as unhindered access to its founding leader in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was fully prepared to hold a dialogue with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to address political polarization that has deepened since the downfall of the PTI administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022.
PTI has frequently complained about a state crackdown against its top leadership, including Khan and his wife, who are serving prison sentences in multiple cases ranging from corruption charges to inciting violence against state institutions and attacks on government properties.
Sharif’s offer for talks came amid media reports that PTI wanted a dialogue with the government, though he noted that negotiations would not be allowed to proceed on the basis of “blackmailing” or unlawful demands and would only cater to legitimate issues.
“Announcements of talks, without concrete confidence-building measures, cannot be treated as credible progress,” Azhar Leghari, PTI’s central deputy information secretary, told Arab News.
He recalled that Khan had authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to carry forward with the dialogue process, adding that talks “require trust, and trust cannot be built at the cost of constitutional rights or democratic legitimacy.”
“For dialogue to be meaningful, it is essential that these authorized representatives are allowed regular and unhindered access to Imran Khan so that any engagement accurately reflects his views and PTI’s collective position,” he added.
Khan’s family, party and legal team have complained in the past they are stopped by the authorities from meeting the ex-PM in prison. Last month, they also raised concerns about his health, prompting the officials to allow one of his sisters to meet him, who said he was fine.
Shortly thereafter, a scathing message was posted on his social media account, criticizing the army chief. Khan’s post elicited a bitter response from the government and the military amid accusations of inciting people against state institutions.
Leghari’s comments came only a day after Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Sharif on political affairs, said PTI’s “second- or third-tier leadership” wanted dialogue, but nothing was going to happen until Khan favored these negotiations.
He also maintained that while the government was ready for talks, “uncertainty and delays from PTI are preventing progress.”
Meanwhile, a newly formed National Dialogue Committee of former PTI leaders told Arab News it had organized a session on Wednesday, January 7, in the federal capital that will bring together all major political parties, journalists, lawyers and representatives of civil society.
“Our goal is to bring political leaders together so that, while discussing their own issues, they can collectively seek solutions to the nation’s challenges,” Mahmood Baqi Moulvi, a Pakistani politician and member of the committee, said.
“The initiative also builds on previous efforts, including a letter to the prime minister requesting confidence-building measures to enable talks with PTI,” he added.
The National Dialogue Committee had urged the government in the letter to grant parole to jailed party figures in Lahore, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, describing the move as vital for building trust ahead of negotiations.
It had also maintained such a step “would not only create an extremely positive, conducive, and trust-filled environment for the negotiations but would also lay a strong foundation for restoring mutual confidence among all stakeholders.”
While the government has also offered dialogue in the past, PTI leaders have conditioned participation on substantive measures, including what they describe as an end to politically motivated prosecutions and arrests, restoration of fundamental rights, respect for judicial independence and a credible roadmap toward free and fair elections.
“Reconciliation is possible, but it must be based on correcting injustices rather than managing optics,” Leghari said. “A genuine reset requires restoring respect for the Constitution, ending political victimization and allowing democratic processes to function without interference.”
Rana Sanaullah and Deputy Law Minister Barrister Aqeel Malik did not respond to requests for comment.
