World | India

Cameron stirs diplomatic row with 'terror' remark

Pakistan assails British PM for his comments made in India

AFP
Published: 22:12 July 29, 2010

British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and Indian Prime MInister Manmohan Singh

Image Credit: AFP
British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and Indian Prime MInister Manmohan Singh pose for media representatives prior to delegation level talks and agreement signing in New Delhi on on Thursday.

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New Delhi: British Prime Minister David Cameron was mired in a diplomatic row with Islamabad Thursday over comments made on a trade-driven trip to India about the “export of terror” from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s ambassador to Britain accused Cameron of “damaging the prospects of regional peace” while the foreign ministry in Islamabad reminded him of the nation’s commitment and sacrifices in the fight against terror.

Cameron’s trip to India was meant to showcase his new foreign policy based on commercial interests, but the minefield of India-Pakistan relations and regional security risked overshadowing his pitch for investment and open trade.

Asked about unrest in South Asia, Cameron on Wednesday responded that Pakistan could not be permitted to “look both ways” in promoting the export of terror while publicly working for stability in the region.

Thursday he sought to clarify his remarks, which were seized on by the Indian media as endorsing New Delhi’s view that Pakistan’s intelligence agency covertly funds insurgents in India and Afghanistan.

“I don’t think the British taxpayer wants me to go around the world saying what people want to hear,” Cameron told reporters travelling with him.

Comments (14)

Added 13:25 July 30, 2010

I am surprised that Mr. Cameroon is now wanting to talk Frank about Pakistan involvement while forgetting the tainted WMD UN claims UK had submitted for Iraq nor about the War crimes perpetuated by the British forces on foreign missions (yeah I will not even talk about the past checkered history of British empire & it’s diplomatic virtues !). Mr. Cameroon frankly forgot to even mention about the destabilizing effect which India is having due to its spy agency’s (RAW) involvement with the Afghan drug barons on the security of Pakistan. Yes the same Pakistan who had to support the Afghan militants after their triumph against the mighty USSR, who were created on the first place by the West, the likes of British to bleed the mighty USSR who in the early decades were not even confronted by today’s West due to their losses in Vietnam & Korean peninsula. This statement of Mr. Cameroon shows how true our extremist view of the west are ; that no matter how much of sacrifice majority of Pakistanis give to the War on Terror, it will never be enough. Mr. Cameroon should quite frankly accept that his sales pitch was meant for the India’s nationalist and his words were nothing more than a sales rhetoric of a country hell bound to create a renaissance in it’s failed economy policies of the past.

Mustafa Shabbir, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:58 July 30, 2010

How ironic,they create people by pushing them to be terrorist and then they complaint as well!..British PM comments in a diplomatic way says"SINCE I AM IN INDIA I WOULD FAVOUR YOU AND SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR AS LONG AS MY INTREST IS GETTING SECURED" and when he will have to speak internationaly on the agenda of WAR ON TERROR he will willingly thank his allies in War against terror PAKISTAN.

Sohail, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:54 July 30, 2010

David Cameron is very new to this bussiness, and by giving such comments IN INDIA about PAKISTAN shows his experience clearly. Regardless of what and how Pakistan deals with terror, the venue for his comments on Pakistan was obviously an error. It would have made more sense and impact if he had made such comments out side of India.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:58 July 30, 2010

look both ways? use pakistani intelligence, air space, land and everything else that would assist in your so called war in terrorism, and yet say pakistan should not look both ways? pakistanis have been dying ever since the war on terror has started, and Cameron in all his wisdom, has the audacity to say this? we understand he just became the prime minister, and yes commercial relations with india are vital for britain... but u have no rite to bad mouth pakistan just to get some brownie points for urself. the wiki leaks report has 'rumors' of ISI involvement, but has hard evidence as to the atrocities carried out by british and american troops there... care to comment on that? stop being so ignorant...

Anonymous, singapore, Singapore

Added 11:27 July 30, 2010

David Cameron proved his incompetence by giving baseless accusations of 'Pakistan exporting terrorism".It clearly shows his diplomatic approach to save his political tenure and creating tensions between two powerful countries of Asia. And surely his next visit to Pakistan would be aimed at pleasing the Pakistan's president by highlighting baseless accusations" Indian exporting terrorism in Pakistan" 100 years passed but still the same old policy

Anonymous, Al Ain, Afghanistan

Added 10:36 July 30, 2010

Cameron's statement exposes his total ignorance of the sacrifices made by Pakistan to fight the war on terror. In the so called war on terror, it is the Pakistani people and Pakistan Army that has made the greatest sacrifice by taking on militants in a manner that neither NATO nor US/UK can do. It is due to the strong action by Pakistan that terror attacks are being launched in Pakistan on regular basis. Open up your eyes Mr. Cameron!

Tanveer, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:14 July 30, 2010

World should know the truth. Indians has suffered a lot due to terrerisom. The recent 26/11 has showed how much deep it has eneterd its link to pakistan.

Anonymous, India, India

Added 10:01 July 30, 2010

somebody convey my message to Cameron that since 9/11 more than ten thousand innocent pakistanis are killed in this war of terror.....

Obaid, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 06:34 July 30, 2010

David Cameron has spoken his mind and he has a right to it. Truth is always hard to swallow but cannot be ignored if matters need to be sorted out factually.

Anonymous, Sydney, Australia

Added 06:10 July 30, 2010

Cameron should not give such baseless comments to promote the business in india by making indians happy.......i think he is trying to find out ways to take out UK from recession.......History has told us that Britishers have always divided people for their own benefits.......They should promote peace in the region and support peace instead of blaming Pakistan......i would suggest indians be careful these are same the Britishers who came to subcontinent in Eighteenth Century for business purpose but later started ruling subcontinent by dividing the people........

Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates