UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office has reacted to the news of cricketer Shoaib Bashir's return home from Abu Dhabi due to a delay in getting his Indian visa.
Pakistan-origin Bashir was stuck in Abu Dhabi as his visa documents didn't come through in time for him to leave for Hyderabad with the rest of the England squad which is scheduled to play 5 Tests in India from January 25.
The 20-year-old uncapped off-spinner was forced to return home to sort out the matter but this resulted him in missing out on a place in the England playing XI for the first Test.
PMO statement on Bashir controversy
The British PMO has now reacted in the matter and said that it has "raised the issue" with the Indian High Commissioner in London.
"I can't speak to the specifics of this case. But more broadly we have previously raised issues of this kind with the High Commission.
"We have been clear that we expect India to treat British citizens fairly at all times in its visa processes. We have previously raised the issues British citizens with Pakistani heritage have experienced.
"We've raised the issues about their experience of applying for visas with the Indian High Commissioner in London," the PMO spokesperson said, as quoted by the BBC.
Bashir gets Indian visa but awaits passport stamp
Born in Surrey and holding a British passport, Bashir is currently facing familiar entry issues into India, attributed to the longstanding tensions rooted in the history between India and Pakistan, despite his British nationality.
Bashir has reportedly received his visa but is waiting for his passport to be stamped so that he can take a flight to India and join the England squad for the remaining four Tests which will be played in Visakhapatnam (February 2-6), Rajkot (Feb 15-19), Ranchi (23-27) and Dharamsala (March 7-11).
