The British government has called for peace and negotiations between India and Pakistan during the increased tension in the region after the “horrific terrorist attacks” in Pahalgam, as the issue has also been raised in Parliament.
Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falkner answered a “immediate question” placed in the House of Commons by British Sikh Labor MP Gurinder Singh Josan on Tuesday, asking about Britain’s role in supporting India in bringing criminals under the purview of justice.
He also expressed concern over regional tension spreading as protests on Britain’s streets, which used inflammatory language and gesture, which included “windows broke” in Pakistan’s High Commission in London “and” Windows broke “in London.
Falkner said, “The fierce terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April was disastrous … We call all the parties, all the community leaders and all the people involved in the area to maintain peace in the area.”
He said, “We know the report of the video mentioned by our honorable friend; Metropolitan Police is investigating it, so I will not comment on this particular incident, but it is clearly worrying.” His gesture was last week to a Pakistani officer captured on camera, who was making a threatening gesture to Indian protesters.
The minister said, “We take our responsibility of protecting all the embassies and highways under the Vienna Treaty, so Pakistani and Indian High Commissioners will get full support from the British government to ensure their safety.”
Chhaya Foreign Secretary Preeti Patel was among the MPs who pressurized the minister about “the criminals cross -border relations with Pakistan” and the action being taken to prevent stress between communities in Britain.
Falkner said, “We want criminals to be appropriately put in the dock of justice and we will support India in doing so.”
He said, “We are playing our role to ensure that tension does not increase. Many of us in this House are familiar with the stressful and historical history between the two countries. We are friends of both and we do not want to see uncontrolled growth in stress.”
The minister reiterated the British’s long -term stance that India and Pakistan have to find a permanent solution to the status of Kashmir keeping in mind the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Calling a “direct dialogue” between the two countries, he said, “It is not our job to suggest a solution.”
Many MPs from various parties strongly condemned the killing of 26 innocent tourists in the terrorist attack last week and many also expressed concern for their Indian and Pakistani migrants.
Falkner said, “This growth is disturbing for the British communities. British Pakistani and British Indians are valuable parts of our community, but we expect all the community and religious leaders to spread the message that now is the time to cross religious and ethnic differences and come together, not to show tension between two states on the streets of Britain, and we will continue to give this message.”
He was also asked to comment on the BBC’s attack on the attack as “extremism”, in response to which he said: “I oppose the ministers’ call for a lot of control over the language of the BBC, but I should make it clear: it was a terrible terrorist attack, and it is the British government’s attitude.”
