Indian-origin United Kingdom MP Priti Patel on Wednesday called the Pahalgam attack an “act of terrorism” and said that the UK must always stand with “friend” India during a difficult time.
While speaking at the Parliament, Patel recalled the India-UK strategic relationship from the New Delhi declaration in 2002 to the UK India 2030 roadmap.
“Speaker, my condolences, thoughts and prayers are also with all those affected by this murderous, violent terrorism that has taken place in Faglan. And I recognise that for India and the diaspora communities in the UK in particular, this has been a really difficult week. This was an act of terrorism and we should call it out for exactly for what it is. And it is part of a long standing pattern of attacks on civilians, visitors to the region and also minority communities,” she said.
“And the UK must always stand with our friends during times of this nature. We have a series of long standing security and counterterrorism partnerships with India going back to the New Delhi Declaration in 2002 and the India UK Strategic Partnership in 2016, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in 2022 and the UK India 2030 roadmap agreed under the last government,” she added.
On April 22, gunmen attacked on innocent tourists who were there to enjoy the scenic beauty of “mini Switzerland.” The attack, the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, targeted mostly tourists and was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). TRF later denied involvement in the attack.
At the Parliament, former home secretary asked the government whether they believe that LeT, the terrorist group prescribed in the UK, bears responsibility or does the government aware of any cross border links to Pakistan of the perpetrators of this terrorist act?
She also pointed out the pattern of attack, stating that the attack took place at the time when US Vice President JD Vance and his family were on a India tour.
“Has the Government got a view on whether this is a coincidence or does it demonstrate a pattern of targeted and deliberately timed attacks? We know the Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, but has the UK provided any specific support in response to this terror attack and taken any practical steps to assist our friends in India? Speaker, has the Government undertaken an assessment of the security implications of this attack on the uk?” she said.
“If LeT or a front linked to them are responsible, then there are disturbing reports emerging that this terrorist group may have had engagement with Hamas. Has the government made assessment of the relationship between groups causing terror and destabilization in Kashmir and those pursuing violence and terrorism that that threaten our interests and global peace and security? Can the minister give an update on the actions being taken to prevent tensions from escalating to communities in the UK, including protections of the High Commission, which has already been mentioned. And will the UK leverage its influence in easing tensions between India and Pakistan,” she added.
