After China, UK hails Pak’s ‘significant sacrifices’ in combating terror

Days ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May’s India visit, the UK on Tuesday hailed Pakistan’s “significant sacrifices” in combating terror while responding to a petition calling on the British government to “strongly condemn” Pakistan for providing a safe haven for terrorists.

The petition titled ‘UK Government to strongly condemn Pakistan for providing safe haven for terrorists’ on the official government website had crossed the 10,000 signatures required to make it incumbent upon the UK governmentto respond.

“Pakistan has made significant sacrifices in opposing terrorism. The UK has regularly raised with Pakistan the need to take consistent action against all terrorist groups operating within its borders,” the response from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) read.

“The UK regularly highlights to Pakistan, at the highest level, the importance of taking effective action against all terror groups operating in Pakistan, as Pakistan has committed to do,” the response said. “We recognise the significant sacrifices that Pakistan and its people have made in combating terrorism. We are helping Pakistan develop its capacity to protect itself and prosecute those who plan and commit terrorist attacks,” it said.

The petition, authored by an Indian-origin professional Naman Paropkari, was launched with the aim of gathering as many as 100,000 signatures by the March 29, 2017, deadline so that the issue is considered for a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons.

“Pakistan continues to double speak on issue of terrorism. It has aided and abetted enemies of the international coalition (of which Britain is a leading partner with the US) against terrorism. Osama Bin Laden’s hideout was in Pakistan. Pakistan continues to harbour UN sanctioned terror networks,” the petition said.

The 19,429 signatures gathered so far on the UK-wide petition have come largely from London and northern regions of England with heavy Indian-origin populations.