British Conservative MP Bob Blackman has strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and called on the UK government to provide full support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism.
Speaking in the UK Parliament and later at a memorial at India House in London, Blackman described the 22 April assault as “well organised and coordinated” and warned that terrorist bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continue to operate.
“These terrorists were well equipped, they were well coordinated,” Blackman told Parliament. “The sad reality is this: whilst the government may give expressions of condolences and support for the people of India, the fact remains that the terrorist bases that exist along the line of control in the illegal part of Kashmir, illegally occupied by Pakistan, still continue to operate across that line of control."
He added, “So, will the government now commit to full support for India in apprehending the terrorists responsible and bringing the backers of those terrorists to justice as well, and to take all steps to support the erosion and elimination of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir?”
Also Read: India planning to launch military strike against Pakistan within 24 to 36 hours, claims Pakistan's I&B minister
‘Systematic killing of Hindus and Christians’
Blackman’s comments come amid widespread outrage over the killings of 26 people — 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen — by terrorists at Baisaran meadow, a popular tourist site in Pahalgam. Many of the victims were shot in the head at close range. Several others were wounded.
Describing the massacre, Blackman said, “These 26 men who were murdered systematically by being shot in the head, were either Hindu or Christian, and there was a deliberate Islamist attack on those tourists who were just going about their business in a peaceful manner.”
In a social media post following his parliamentary remarks, Blackman reiterated: “Today, I once again condemned the Islamist terrorist attack in Pahalgam which tragically claimed the lives of 26 Hindus and Christians. I reiterated my calls on the Govt to fully support India in their steps to eliminate terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.”
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Strong words of support from London
At the April 25 commemoration event at India House, Blackman pledged further backing for any steps India takes to pursue justice. “I would strongly support whatever India does to pursue the terrorists and those who have backed the terrorists, make sure they are brought to justice. If they can't be brought to justice, they must be eliminated,” he said.
Blackman added, “It’s my expectation that all the political parties in the United Kingdom will join the Indian government in expressing that support, whatever action India chooses to take, including military action, if necessary, to eliminate those terrorist bases that exist on the opposite side of the Line of Control (LoC).”
UK Labour MP Catherine West, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, also addressed the gathering. She said the UK “stands shoulder to shoulder with India in the face of the cowardly attacks of terrorism against innocent civilians.”
India’s retaliation and diplomatic fallout
The attack has led to a strong response from New Delhi. India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and closed the Attari Integrated Check Post until further notice. In addition, all Pakistani High Commission officials in India have been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave within a week.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that visa services for Pakistani nationals have been suspended. All valid Indian visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked from 27 April.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a public rally in Madhubani on April 24, warned that the perpetrators will face severe consequences. “The terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination,” he declared.
He added, “The willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror.”
Also Read: Pakistan rushes air defence, electronic assets forward; steps up readiness drills
“Never forgive, never forget”
India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, condemned the attack as a deliberate act aimed at disrupting normal life in Jammu and Kashmir. “This is the largest killing of civilians since the Mumbai terror attacks,” he said. “People were pulled out, identified on the basis of their religious identity and shot dead... The purpose of this exercise was purely to create terror and to undermine the ongoing normalisation of circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir.”
He reaffirmed India’s intent to seek justice. “We will never forget, we will never forgive, and we will exact a punishment.”
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan and Maharashtra Minister of Social Justice Sanjay Shirsat were among the dignitaries present at the event.
Westminster urges calm as tensions rise
Speaking in the House of Commons during an urgent debate initiated by Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer acknowledged that “India has our full support to go after the perpetrators of that attack,” but stressed the importance of a “proper law-enforcement-led response.”
He said, “It is important there is a proper law-enforcement-led response based on a focus of the actual perpetrators. A terrible terrorist attack has been perpetrated … We encourage Pakistanis to cooperate fully with the Indian government in their efforts to investigate.”
He also addressed rising tensions in Britain’s South Asian communities following the attack. “It is vital that here in the UK all of us in positions of influence at a community level do what we can to ensure those tensions do not play out on British streets,” Falconer said.
Tensions have already spilled over in the UK. Ankit Love, a British national born in Jammu & Kashmir, was arrested and charged with criminal damage after allegedly smashing windows at the Pakistan High Commission. He had previously been blacklisted by India for attacking the Indian High Commission in 2022.
Falconer told MPs that police were investigating a separate incident involving a Pakistani diplomat allegedly making a throat-slitting gesture. “The Metropolitan Police are investigating, so I will not provide any further commentary on that particular incident, but it is obviously concerning,” he said.
While many MPs condemned the religious targeting in the Pahalgam attack, others questioned India’s retaliatory steps. Some called New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty “extreme” and warned against what they described as “bulldozer tactics.”
Labour MP Barry Gardiner urged a tougher stance on Pakistan, asking: “Is it not time to make the support we give to Pakistan conditional on them finally closing down the terrorist training camps that they harbour?”
Falconer concluded by welcoming diplomatic dialogue between India and Pakistan but added: “It is understandable the concerns India has for its security in light of such a horrific incident and it is clearly taking steps to try to establish the facts of the incident as best it can and will have British support to do so.”
Speaking in the UK Parliament and later at a memorial at India House in London, Blackman described the 22 April assault as “well organised and coordinated” and warned that terrorist bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continue to operate.
“These terrorists were well equipped, they were well coordinated,” Blackman told Parliament. “The sad reality is this: whilst the government may give expressions of condolences and support for the people of India, the fact remains that the terrorist bases that exist along the line of control in the illegal part of Kashmir, illegally occupied by Pakistan, still continue to operate across that line of control."
He added, “So, will the government now commit to full support for India in apprehending the terrorists responsible and bringing the backers of those terrorists to justice as well, and to take all steps to support the erosion and elimination of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir?”
Also Read: India planning to launch military strike against Pakistan within 24 to 36 hours, claims Pakistan's I&B minister
‘Systematic killing of Hindus and Christians’
Blackman’s comments come amid widespread outrage over the killings of 26 people — 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen — by terrorists at Baisaran meadow, a popular tourist site in Pahalgam. Many of the victims were shot in the head at close range. Several others were wounded.
Describing the massacre, Blackman said, “These 26 men who were murdered systematically by being shot in the head, were either Hindu or Christian, and there was a deliberate Islamist attack on those tourists who were just going about their business in a peaceful manner.”
In a social media post following his parliamentary remarks, Blackman reiterated: “Today, I once again condemned the Islamist terrorist attack in Pahalgam which tragically claimed the lives of 26 Hindus and Christians. I reiterated my calls on the Govt to fully support India in their steps to eliminate terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Also Read: Pakistan's General Asim Munir is itching for a fight. Are his soldiers willing?
Strong words of support from London
At the April 25 commemoration event at India House, Blackman pledged further backing for any steps India takes to pursue justice. “I would strongly support whatever India does to pursue the terrorists and those who have backed the terrorists, make sure they are brought to justice. If they can't be brought to justice, they must be eliminated,” he said.
Blackman added, “It’s my expectation that all the political parties in the United Kingdom will join the Indian government in expressing that support, whatever action India chooses to take, including military action, if necessary, to eliminate those terrorist bases that exist on the opposite side of the Line of Control (LoC).”
UK Labour MP Catherine West, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, also addressed the gathering. She said the UK “stands shoulder to shoulder with India in the face of the cowardly attacks of terrorism against innocent civilians.”
India’s retaliation and diplomatic fallout
The attack has led to a strong response from New Delhi. India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and closed the Attari Integrated Check Post until further notice. In addition, all Pakistani High Commission officials in India have been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave within a week.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that visa services for Pakistani nationals have been suspended. All valid Indian visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked from 27 April.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a public rally in Madhubani on April 24, warned that the perpetrators will face severe consequences. “The terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination,” he declared.
He added, “The willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror.”
Also Read: Pakistan rushes air defence, electronic assets forward; steps up readiness drills
“Never forgive, never forget”
India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, condemned the attack as a deliberate act aimed at disrupting normal life in Jammu and Kashmir. “This is the largest killing of civilians since the Mumbai terror attacks,” he said. “People were pulled out, identified on the basis of their religious identity and shot dead... The purpose of this exercise was purely to create terror and to undermine the ongoing normalisation of circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir.”
He reaffirmed India’s intent to seek justice. “We will never forget, we will never forgive, and we will exact a punishment.”
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan and Maharashtra Minister of Social Justice Sanjay Shirsat were among the dignitaries present at the event.
Westminster urges calm as tensions rise
Speaking in the House of Commons during an urgent debate initiated by Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer acknowledged that “India has our full support to go after the perpetrators of that attack,” but stressed the importance of a “proper law-enforcement-led response.”
He said, “It is important there is a proper law-enforcement-led response based on a focus of the actual perpetrators. A terrible terrorist attack has been perpetrated … We encourage Pakistanis to cooperate fully with the Indian government in their efforts to investigate.”
He also addressed rising tensions in Britain’s South Asian communities following the attack. “It is vital that here in the UK all of us in positions of influence at a community level do what we can to ensure those tensions do not play out on British streets,” Falconer said.
Tensions have already spilled over in the UK. Ankit Love, a British national born in Jammu & Kashmir, was arrested and charged with criminal damage after allegedly smashing windows at the Pakistan High Commission. He had previously been blacklisted by India for attacking the Indian High Commission in 2022.
Falconer told MPs that police were investigating a separate incident involving a Pakistani diplomat allegedly making a throat-slitting gesture. “The Metropolitan Police are investigating, so I will not provide any further commentary on that particular incident, but it is obviously concerning,” he said.
While many MPs condemned the religious targeting in the Pahalgam attack, others questioned India’s retaliatory steps. Some called New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty “extreme” and warned against what they described as “bulldozer tactics.”
Labour MP Barry Gardiner urged a tougher stance on Pakistan, asking: “Is it not time to make the support we give to Pakistan conditional on them finally closing down the terrorist training camps that they harbour?”
Falconer concluded by welcoming diplomatic dialogue between India and Pakistan but added: “It is understandable the concerns India has for its security in light of such a horrific incident and it is clearly taking steps to try to establish the facts of the incident as best it can and will have British support to do so.”
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