How Corona exposed the dual standards of Western diplomacy: Shafaqna Exclusive

by Tauqeer Abbas
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 Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Sunday described including Pakistan in the red list of travel ban countries and the compulsory quarantining in the UK as an inhumane move by the British government. “This is absolutely shameful. These people have paid 1,750 pounds per person to undergo 10 days of compulsory quarantine in the UK and are being treated in this inhumane manner simply because they happen to be of Pakistani origin,” the minister tweeted.

The minister also produced short videos, along with her tweet, of British Pakistanis caught in the middle of nowhere without so much as fresh and clean food. As a result they are experiencing a large number of cases of food poisoning, especially among children, and are also having to go ahead with their fasts without the ritual Sehri meal. This situation is clearly untenable, even “inhuman” as Mazari put it, so it is good that such concerns have been raised at the level of the federal government. No doubt the Pakistani government fully backs the efforts of all countries to take whatever measures they consider necessary to keep themselves as safe from the virus as possible, but it should also officially make its feelings known about this particular ban.

The British government has said such decisions are based on sound data and medical statistics, along with a whole host of other indicators. Yet, as Mazari very rightly pointed out, it is rather difficult to take such explanations at face value because other countries like India, which has a much higher positivity rate than Pakistan and has also now recorded a fresh variant of the coronavirus, are not included in the red list. Such restrictions are of course a matter of great discomfort for the people involved because they are made to stay away from their families as well as their jobs. So the British government should either explain its actions in a little more detail, along with a timeline for their expected reversal, or it should consider rolling some of them back right now.

The exact extent of discrimination can further be observed through inaction by the UK against India which is reporting an astounding 200,000 cases daily—15.1 million cases in total. Already, 73 cases of the Indian variant—which contains mutations that render the vaccine ineffective thereby putting national immunity at risk—have been reported, but placing it on the red list is only a distant thought. Despite cases surging, we are still better off than most countries. It is vital that our government clarifies this fact along with expressing its displeasure about these recent developments. Only through applying pressure, engaging with UK diplomats and refusing to accept such an action will any avenues for reversal be opened.

Shafaqna Pakistan
pakistan.shafaqna.com

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