London: British High Commission officials rejected media reports claiming that the UK government had added Pakistan to the list of dangerous countries.
The development comes after the Indian media reported, as well as some local websites, had wrongly reported that Pakistan was “off limits” for travel according to a UK government advisory.
Several reports mentioned a ‘black list’ and ‘red list’, misstating that Pakistan was included in the latter, but officials confirmed to Dawn that there were no black or red lists and that each country has its own travel advice.
The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has similar travel advisories for both India and Pakistan. “FCDO advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “the Line of Control,” says the advisory for Pakistan.
The warning for India is identical to Pakistan, and UK citizens are warned against travelling to Manipur and parts of India-held Kashmir.
Recently, the FCDO has added eight additional destinations, including Israel and Gaza, to the list of places deemed ‘too dangerous’ for UK citizens to visit.