Terrorism is Terrible Blight on Pakistan, its People and the Region: UK Tells Pakistan

New Delhi: As the UK tries to mediate for a durable peace between India and Pakistan, British foreign secretary David Lammy, in a meeting with Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, has told Islamabad to act against terrorism, saying it is a "terrible blight” on the country, its people and the region.

The British minister is learnt to have told Pakistan to act on the terror groups operating from its soil and work for a sustained ceasefire. He added his government is determined to play its part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan becomes a durable peace.

The UK foreign secretary was on a two-day visit to Pakistan to help reduce tensions and help it hold talks with India for a long-lasting solution to the latest conflict. This was the first visit of a British foreign secretary to Pakistan since 2021, as the UK government pushed for the “fragile ceasefire to become durable peace”.

Before travelling to Pakistan, Mr Lammy spoke with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

The UK foreign office said in a statement that Mr Lammy has been in frequent contact with the government of India, having engaged with Mr Jaishankar on Thursday, a day before he travelled to Islamabad. The statement added that the British foreign secretary will look to travel to New Delhi soon to build upon the strength of the India-UK partnership.

India, however, has made it clear that it had targeted the terror camps post the brutal Pahalgam attack on Indian tourists on April 22. The government maintains that Operation Sindoor has been only paused, not suspended. The ceasefire understanding between the militaries of two nations ends on Sunday, with the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan scheduled to talk again.

In an interview with Reuters at the end of his two-day visit to Islamabad, Mr Lammy said Britain will also continue to work with Pakistan on countering terrorism, while saying that it is "a terrible blight on this country and its people, and of course on the region".

While India intensifies its efforts to rally international support against Pakistan for "harbouring terrorist networks", Pakistan's foreign minister "briefed the UK's foreign secretary on India's unprovoked and belligerent actions..." and that Pakistan’s counteractions were “proportionate, limited and with care taken to avoid civilian casualties.”

Mr Lammy on Saturday wrote on X, “Important visit to Pakistan following the hugely welcome ceasefire with India. Because of the deep links between our countries, the UK is determined to play our part with India, Pakistan and international partners to help counter terrorism and ensure this peace lasts.”

“My message has been clear with India, Pakistan and international partners. The ceasefire must be sustained. Further conflict is in nobody’s interest,” Mr Lammy said in a video post on X.

“These are two neighbours with a long history, but they are two neighbours that have barely been able to speak to one another over this past period, and we want to ensure that we do not see further escalation and that the ceasefire endures," Mr Lammy told Reuters.

On India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, he urged all sides “to meet their treaty obligations".

The UK foreign office in a statement said Mr Lammy’s visit to Islamabad was to welcome the ceasefire and “make clear that further conflict is in nobody’s interest.”

“The UK government welcomed the sustained ceasefire between Pakistan and India, both important partners to the UK, with the foreign secretary asserting the importance of continued stability for the region during a visit to Pakistan… The foreign secretary praised the steps taken by both Pakistan and India to secure an agreement to cease hostilities,” the statement said.

“… It’s positive that India and Pakistan – both great friends to the UK – have agreed to a pause in hostilities and that the ceasefire is holding. Because of the deep and historic links between our populations and our governments, we are determined to play our part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace,” Mr Lammy said in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has conceded that India has hit its crucial air bases. “On the intervening night of May 9 and 10, Gen. Asim Munir called me on the secure line at around 2.30 am and told me that India has launched its ballistic missiles just a while ago. One has hit Nur Khan air base and some in other areas,” Mr Sharif said at an event in Pakistan. He has expressed willingness to sit with India and talk over contentious issues.