‘Pak hid Osama bin Laden’, UK MP Priti Patel backs India’s right to defend

London: UK Conservative Party MP Priti Patel extended support to India, saying that it has the right to take reasonable and proportionate steps to defend itself, and to dismantle the vile terrorist infrastructure that has caused death and continues to threaten it. She slammed Pakistan for threatening India and Western interests by fostering terrorism. The remarks came after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday morning launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine high-value terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 innocent civilians. Speaking at the House of Commons on Wednesday, the UK's Shadow Foreign Secretary Patel extended her condolences to the victims of murderous, violent terrorism in Pahalgam. "It was an act of terrorism, and we must reflect on the fact that Pahalgam has joined Mumbai, New Delhi and other places in India in being forever scarred by an act of terror," she said. "On April 22, terrorists brutally killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam in a barbaric and savage act of violence. Most victims were killed at point-blank range by gunshots to their head," she pointed out. "Terrorists based in Pakistan threaten India and Western interests. It was the country that Osama bin Laden was hiding in -- and because of the long history of violence being inflicted by terrorists on India, the UK has in place long-standing security co-operation agreements with India," she added.

She further urged the government to cooperate with the allies of the UK in tackling global threats of terrorism. "Given those links, the UK Government should be at the forefront in working with our friends and allies to tackle the terrorist threats that we face collectively," she added. She asked the UK government whether it had assisted India after the brutal Pahalgam terror attack. "The Minister will not be able to speak about intelligence sharing between the UK and India, but will he at least confirm whether our intelligence and security services have been in contact with India about the incidents that took place, and whether they are supporting its investigations? Has the government provided any specific security assistance to India in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Kashmir? Could Britain offer specific support that might help avert escalation?" she asked. Highlighting on the terrorist group The Resistance Front (TRF) who claimed the resposibility of the terror attack, she further asked, "Does the Minister agree with India's assessment that The Resistance Front, which claims responsibility for the April 22 attacks, is a front for the proscribed Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has a clear history of committing acts of terror against India, and has reported links to Hamas?" Highlighting the reports about Hamas-Lashkar-e-Taiba links, Patel asked, "Will the Minister confirm whether the UK government are aware of any co-operation and links between Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas?" Patel questioned if the Foreign Secretary would be able to give the evidence of the discussion he held with his Indian counterparts following the brutal assault. "Have Ministers undertaken an assessment of the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan? Has he had discussions with the Pakistani government on this matter?" she questioned. Raising concerns over the aid the UK gives to Pakistan, the Shadow Minister said, "Can Ministers give assurances that there are sufficient measures in place to ensure that no British aid to Pakistan, either bilaterally or through multilateral sources, ends up in the wrong hands?" Patel also demanded the government's assessment of the terror attack and the perpetrators behind it.