UK Parliament member Priti Patel strongly criticized the recent terror strike at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in her speech at the UK House of Commons. She also urged the British government to increase its counter-terrorism collaboration with India while praising the nation for its initiatives under Operation Sindoor.
Speaking of the horrific incident, Patel said, “On April 22, terrorists brutally murdered 26 tourists in Pahalgam in a barbaric and savage act of violence. The majority of the victims were murdered at close range with gunshots to their heads.”. My thoughts and prayers were with everyone that was hurt by this violent, murderous terrorism in Pahalgam.” She further added that the attack placed Pahalgam as another Indian city, such as Mumbai and New Delhi, to be tainted by terrorism. This is an act of terrorism and we need to consider how Pahalgam has joined Mumbai, New Delhi and other locations in India that will remain forever damaged by an act of terror,” she said.
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Today in the House of Commons I reiterated my condolences for those impacted by the atrocity that took place in Pahalgam. We must stand with those affected by terrorism. The UK must work with our friends in India to tackle terrorist threats and engage with India, Pakistan and key… pic.twitter.com/8RXezaJHx0
— Priti Patel MP (@pritipatel) May 7, 2025
Call for Acknowledgment of Cross-Border Terror Threats
Patel highlighted the need for the UK to acknowledge the threats by Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Mr Speaker, this is obviously a delicate time and we wish to see tensions de-escalate between Pakistan and India. We don’t want state-on-state military escalation. We are also clear that India has a right to take reasonable and proportionate action to defend itself and to disassemble the odious terrorist infrastructure that has killed and still threatens them.”. And we all know terrorists based in Pakistan are targeting India and Western interests, she declared.
Referring to Pakistan’s history of sheltering terrorists, she said, “It was the nation where Osama bin Laden hid. And due to the historical background of violence inflicted by terrorists upon India, the UK has in place long-standing security partnership arrangements with India. And in fact last weekend, this House reminded the government of those long-standing security arrangements, why they exist and why they should concern us here in the UK.”
Call for Intelligence Sharing and Diplomatic Clarity
Patel urged the government of the UK to clarify if intelligence agencies had approached India in regards to the Pahalgam attack. “In light of these connections, the government of the UK should be leading the way in collaborating with our friends and allies to confront the terrorist threats we all face.”. While I know the Minister cannot comment on intelligence sharing between UK and India, can he at least clarify whether our security and intelligence services have been engaging with India on the incidents which have occurred and are assisting their investigation?” she asked.
She also asked if the UK had provided any particular security aid to India. “Has the government made any specific security aid to India following the terrorist attack in Kashmir? Could Britain provide specific assistance that could prevent escalation?” she asked.
Questions on Lashkar-e-Taiba and Global Terror Links
Patel asked for the UK government’s official opinion about the terror outfit behind the attack and queried, “Does the Minister concur with the conclusion reached by India that the resistance front, take claim of the 22nd April attacks, are a front for Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba?”
Making parallels with global terror networks, she stated, “Lashkar-e-Taiba are a proscribed terrorist group who have a well-documented history of carrying out acts of terrorism against India and have reported associations with Hamas, including reports that Hamas officials have met with them this year. Can the Minister say whether the UK government is aware of any links and cooperation between Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas?”
She also pushed the government to reveal which terror organizations are presently operating in Pakistan that can be a danger to the UK and its allies. “Does the Minister know what terror groups are presently operating in Pakistan and their connections to other terrorist organisations that are threatening our interests?” she asked.
UK Aid Monitoring and Prevention of Escalation Expressing his concerns regarding the utilization of UK aid, Patel called for assurances that aid to Pakistan does not end up in the hands of terrorists. “Can he provide further evidence of those talks? Have Ministers made an assessment of the terrorist infrastructure operating from Pakistan? Has the Minister discussed this with the government of Pakistan?
And can Ministers assure that there are adequate safeguards in place to guarantee that no British aid to Pakistan, either bilaterally or from multilateral sources, has fallen into the wrong hands?” she said.
She also called on the UK government to be proactive in preventing tensions from influencing communities within the country. “Would these questions in mind the diaspora communities here in the UK have strong links to both India and Pakistan, as the Minister has said. So can he give an update on the actions that will be taken to prevent the escalation of tensions impacting on communities in our country?” she asked.
Consular Assistance and Government’s Opinion Requested
Demanding transparency, Patel questioned whether the UK had evaluated the possibility of the Pahalgam attackers having links to other organisations. “And lastly, will the Minister now be more open with the House regarding the Government’s evaluation as to who perpetrated the terror attack in Kashmir, if they were acting for or with any other malign actors and if he is working through the security implications for the UK,” she added.
She also called for an update on diplomatic talk and consular support. “Can he confirm details of additional consular capacity and provide for the support that the UK will be providing to the High Commission in each of these countries and offer consular support to British nationals in India and Pakistan?” she added. Meanwhile, defence authorities informed that the Indian Army is on high alert after recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan. These followed precision strikes under Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
