ISLAMABAD: Bahrain has removed Pakistan and three other countries from its travel red list, which will be effective from September 3, state-run Bahrain News Agency reported on Tuesday.
On May 24, Bahrain suspended the entry of travelers from countries on a red list, which included India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The ban was imposed as part of Bahrain’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Other countries removed from the list include India, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
“The Civil Aviation Affairs has updated Bahrain’s Red List countries, in line with directives issued by the Government Executive Committee in response to recommendations made by the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus,” the news agency said, adding that pre-arrival PCR tests were no longer required for those entering the kingdom from non-red list countries whose vaccination certificates were recognized.
However, all passengers arriving in Bahrain would still have to take PCR tests on arrival and on the fifth and tenth days after their stay.
Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy traditionally close ties. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Bahrain in July this year.
Bahrain removes Pakistan from travel ‘red list’
https://arab.news/rp2gg
Bahrain removes Pakistan from travel ‘red list’
- Bahrain suspended entry of travelers from countries on a red list in May
- All passengers still have to take PCR tests on arrival in the kingdom
Islamabad steps up vehicle checks to boost security as 166,000 cars get electronic tags
- Authorities say over 3,000 vehicles registered in past 24 hours as enforcement intensifies
- Extended service hours introduced to push full compliance with digital monitoring system
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the Pakistani capital have intensified enforcement against vehicles without mandatory electronic tags with more than 166,000 cars now registered, according to data released on Sunday evening, as Islamabad moves to strengthen security and digital monitoring at key entry and exit points.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration introduced the electronic tagging system late last year as part of a broader effort to regulate traffic, improve record-keeping and enhance surveillance in a city that hosts the country’s main government institutions, foreign missions and diplomatic enclaves.
Under the system, vehicles are fitted with electronic tags that can be read automatically by scanners installed at checkpoints across the capital, allowing authorities to identify unregistered vehicles without manual inspections. Vehicles already equipped with a motorway tag, or m-tag, are exempt from the requirement.
“A total of 166,888 vehicles have successfully been issued M-Tags so far, including 3,130 vehicles in the last 24 hours,” the ICT administration said, according to the Excise Department.
Officials said readers installed at checkpoints across Islamabad are fully operational and are being used to stop vehicles still without tags, as enforcement teams carry out checks across the city.
To facilitate compliance, authorities have expanded installation facilities and extended operating hours. The Excise Department said m-tag installation is currently available at 17 booth locations, while select centers have begun operating beyond normal working hours.
According to Director General Excise Irfan Memon, m-tag centers at 26 Number Chungi and 18 Meel are providing services round the clock, while counters at Kachnar Park and F-9 Park remain open until midnight to accommodate motorists unable to visit during daytime hours.
Officials said the combination of enforcement and facilitation was aimed at achieving full compliance with minimal disruption, adding that operations would continue until all vehicles operating in the capital are brought into the system.
The enforcement drive builds on a wider push by the federal government to integrate traffic management, emergency response and security monitoring through technology-driven “safe city” initiatives. Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reviewed Islamabad’s surveillance infrastructure and said reforms in monitoring systems and the effective use of technology were the “need of the hour.”
Authorities have urged motorists to obtain electronic tags promptly to avoid delays and penalties at checkpoints as enforcement continues across the capital.
