In a powerful address to the UK Parliament, British MP Priti Patel called for greater recognition of the terrorist threat India faces from Pakistan-based groups and stressed that India has every right to respond proportionately in self-defence. Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, Priti Patel urged the UK government to stand firmly with India, highlighting concerns over Pakistan’s alleged terror links and the need for tighter international cooperation.
India’s Right to Defend and Dismantle Terror Infrastructure
Priti Patel, speaking in the House of Commons, called the Pahalgam attack a “barbaric and savage act of violence,” where tourists were shot at point-blank range. She emphasized that India has the right to take measured and proportionate steps to protect its citizens and dismantle terrorist infrastructure operating from across the border. Priti Patel acknowledged that terror groups based in Pakistan not only threaten India but also Western interests, urging the UK to avoid any military escalation but remain supportive of India’s security efforts.
She also reiterated her solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam attack and noted how the town has now become a symbol of terror-stricken regions like Mumbai and New Delhi. Priti Patel strongly emphasized that the UK must be aware of and act upon the persistent threat from groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, who have a history of attacking Indian targets.
Call for Transparency and Action on Terror Links
Pointing to Osama bin Laden’s past refuge in Pakistan, Priti Patel questioned the UK government’s monitoring of terror outfits operating from Pakistani soil. She urged ministers to confirm if the UK’s intelligence services were working with India to investigate the Pahalgam incident and asked whether British aid to Pakistan was being audited to prevent misuse.
Priti Patel also raised serious questions about reported links between Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas, asking whether the UK government was aware of any cooperation between these groups. She called for a comprehensive assessment of Pakistan-based terror threats and asked for assurances that UK aid has not supported any such organizations indirectly.
In her concluding remarks, Priti Patel pressed the UK government to share its assessment of the Kashmir attack, including whether the perpetrators were linked to other hostile actors and what implications such cooperation might have for the UK’s own national security.
