UK says there’s no excuse for terrorism across Pak borders

LONDON: The United Kingdom needs to be more forthright on terrorism, particularly on terrorism that “flows across” Pakistan’s borders into Afghanistan and elsewhere, defence secretary Michael Fallon has said, indicating a subtle shift in London on south Asia.

Speaking to HT on the eve of a three-day visit to Mumbai and New Delhi from Tuesday, Fallon, one of the senior most figures in the Theresa May government, said Britain had made it “very clear” to Pakistan that there cannot be any excuse or justification for terrorism.

Fallon’s remarks are significant in the context of Brexit compelling the UK to focus more on major economies such as India, and the continuing grouse in New Delhi that unlike the US, India continues to be hyphenated with Pakistan in London’s outlook.

On Washington issuing a strong statement after the September 2016 terror attack on brigade headquarters in Uri, Fallon said the UK condemned the attack, but agreed that “We have to be more forthright on terrorism…we have to call it out for what it is”. “There is no excuse, justification for terrorism and we make that very clear in Pakistan”, he said and added that his talks in India will also focus “on what more Pakistan needs to do to tackle terrorism that flows across the border into Afghanistan and elsewhere”.

Fallon will be in Mumbai to inspect the guided missile destroyer ‘Chennai’, among other engagements, and in New Delhi for talks with defence minister Arun Jaitley, national security advisor Ajit Doval and Indian military chiefs to further the India-UK Defence and International Security Partnership. .

Keen to deepen existing links between Indian military and India’s defence industry, Fallon said British companies were now ready to enter arrangements under the Make in India programme, and plan new equipment to benefit militaries and defence industries of both countries.