Pakistan refuses to accept UK’s flight of deportees

LONDON: Pakistan refused to accept a chartered flight of around three dozen deportees from London to Islamabad three weeks ago, causing unease in relations between the two countries.

The flight was not given clearance at the last minute on October 20 by the Pakistan government and the UK authorities were left with no choice but to return the detainees to detention centres.

Unease also exists, according to sources, over a letter handed over in the first week of October 2020 to the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, aimed for Home Secretary Priti Patel in which the Conservative Home Secretary was advised that she was “duty bound” to deport Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s adviser on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar confirmed to this correspondent that the flight was not given clearance but he strongly rebutted as asked if the cancellation of deportees’ flight was linked with the issue of Nawaz Sharif.

Shahzad Akbar clarified the deportees flights will be allowed “after confirmation of documentations and following due protocols”. He added: “We are seeking deportation of Mian Nawaz Sharif on principle but it is not linked with any other bilateral working of the two countries.”

Another minister from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the flight from London to Islamabad was not given clearance because it had not complied with the Standards Operating Procedures (SOP).

A third source linked with the government maintained the flight was stopped because the UK government had not obtained corona tests for the deportees. He said the UK government should have arranged tests of the deportees prior to preparing the flight. A source in the UK government said the story about Covid tests was not true.

The third source did not clarify what the procedures were and why similar flights in similar circumstances were allowed to land in Pakistan without any issues since the PTI government came into power and especially since the implementation of mandatory Covid test rules for flights landing in Pakistan. This reporter has learnt from reliable sources both within Pakistan and the UK government that unease in otherwise smooth relations has come in recent weeks after the Pakistan government publicly made various demands of the UK government to extradite, expel and deport former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

A source here shared that the Pakistan government has usually sent letters to the Home Office through the usual channels but earlier in October a letter was sent to Home Secretary Priti Patel through the British High Commissioner making demands on the Home Secretary. The source said that British diplomats have felt uneasy over this matter. It is understood that the UK government believes that it is being dragged into Pakistani politics unnecessarily.

The UK government has been returning illegal immigrants to Pakistan under the EU Readmission Agreement (Eura). The agreement was signed during PPP’s government and further strengthened during PMLN’s government, under Chaudhary Nisar as interior minister of Pakistan.