Statement by Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw

British House of Commons
June 10, 2002

With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a statement about the situation in India and Pakistan.

Intense diplomatic efforts and decisions made in recent days by the Governments of India and Pakistan give grounds for some optimism, and the tensions have eased a little. Nonetheless, with a million men under arms on either side of the Line of Control in a high state of readiness, the risks of a conflict are still significant. With both countries in possession of nuclear weapons, the potential consequences for the region and the wider world are devastating.

HISTORY

Let me give some brief background and then set out the action, which Her Majesty’s Government, working particularly with the US Government, has been taking.

The territory of Kashmir has been the subject of dispute since Independence in 1947. Three major wars have been fought between India and Pakistan in 1948/49, 1965 and 1971 and there was a particularly bloody battle in Kargil in 1999, on the Indian side of the Line of Control.

The people of Kashmir have been caught in the middle of all this, at a cost of tens of thousands of lives, with even more displaced. There has long been serious concern in the international community about the human rights deficit in Jammu and Kashmir, and about the conduct of some elections there.

Mr Speaker,

In the last decade or so the character of the conflict has changed with the incursion of armed militants across the Line of Control into India from the Pakistani side. A number of terrorist organisations including Laskhar e Tayyaba, Jaish e Mohammed and Harakat Mujahideen, each of which I proscribed when I was Home Secretary, have been at the forefront of violent activity within the region.

India has long charged that such terrorism has had the covert support of successive Pakistani Governments, and in particular the Inter-services Intelligence Directorate (ISID) the main intelligence agency in Pakistan. Her Majesty’s Government accepts that there is a clear link between ISID and these groups.

Towards the end of last year India suffered two serious terrorist outrages. On 1 October more than 40 people died in an assault on the State Assembly in Srinagar. On 13 December the Indian Parliament building itself in New Delhi was attacked, leaving 14 dead.

In response to intensive diplomatic pressure, including the visit to the region by my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister, President Musharraf delivered a speech on 12 January in which he pledged that 'No organisation will be allowed to indulge in terrorism in the name of Kashmir'.

From early May, when the heavy winter snows began to melt, there was however an increase in terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir and a rise in levels of infiltration across the Line of Control. This renewed violence included an attack on 14 May on a passenger bus and residential quarters of the Indian Army base at Kaluchak, killing 34 people, mainly women and children. A week later the prominent moderate Kashmiri politician, Abdul Ghani Lone, was assassinated.

INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY

Mr Speaker, the dispute between India and Pakistan is at root a bilateral matter which can only be resolved by direct dialogue between the parties. But it is a dispute with potent international implications, both because of the potential scale of any military action including the possible use of nuclear weapons, and because, post-September 11th, new imperatives have been imposed on all member states by UNSCR 1373 to take effective action to counter terrorism.

Since last autumn, and particularly since the resurgence of violence in recent weeks, this conflict has been high on the international community’s agenda. There has been intensive diplomatic activity from the US and UK Governments, Russia, China, other EU and G8 countries, and of course from those in the region.

As part of this co-ordinated diplomatic effort, I visited Pakistan and India on 28 and 29 May. I had discussions in Pakistan with President Musharraf and Foreign Minister Sattar, and in India with Prime Minister Vajpayee, External Affairs Minister Singh, Home Minister Advani and Defence Minister Fernandes and leader of the Opposition Mrs Gandhi.

In Islamabad, I underlined to President Musharraf the need for Pakistan to take visible, decisive and verifiable steps to: seal the Line of Control; to stop supplies to militant groups; to help restrain the violent activities of these groups; and to close the militant training camps on Pakistan’s side of the Line of Control.

In Delhi, in my meetings with Prime Minster Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Singh, I stressed that, as Pakistan demonstrated that it was taking the necessary steps to clamp down on terrorism, India should respond positively. A number of possible steps to reduce tension were discussed with both sides. I also underlined to the Indian Government, once again, the need for them to take steps to improve the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and to ensure free, fair and inclusive elections in Jammu and Kashmir this autumn.

Before my visit Commissioner Patten visited the region and held discussions with both sides. Last week at a regional Conference in Almaty, both Russian President Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin met separately with President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee. My Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister has spoken at length to both sides and to Presidents Bush and Putin about the situation.

Following my trip, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage visited both countries last week. Mr Armitage was given a categorical undertaking by President Musharraf that the sealing of the Line of Control would be 'permanent'. The Government of India described this as a 'step forward' and said that it would respond 'appropriately and positively.' Separately the US and UK governments have assessed that there appears to have been a significant reduction in incursions across the Line of Control since the end of May.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

I am pleased to tell the House that when I spoke this morning to my Indian counterpart, Jaswant Singh, he told me that India was announcing today that restrictions on overflights from Pakistan over India were to be lifted, and that the name of the next Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan was being made public. I also understand that the western and eastern Indian fleets are returning to port.

We have therefore seen both sides take first steps in the right direction. But the position is still precarious. Terrorism is still a threat. The situation will continue to require the engagement of the international community for some time.

Like my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister, and President Putin, President Bush has made clear that he intends to remain personally involved. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfield will be visiting India and Pakistan this week. The international efforts against terrorism and the Kashmir crisis will be an important agenda item for the meeting of G8 Foreign Ministers in Whistler, Western Canada, which I shall be attending later this week. Fellow EU Foreign Ministers are discussing the matter today.

Mr Speaker, the present crisis has, of course, had direct consequences for many UK citizens and their families. The UK has up to 3 million citizens who are of South Asian origin.

As Secretary of State I have to balance our wider foreign policy interests with my direct duty of care for all UK citizens in the region and for British government staff and their families, whether UK-based or locally engaged. In response to specific terrorist threats, I decided on 22 May to reduce the level of staff at British Government posts in Pakistan. At the same time our travel advice was amended to advise against all but essential travel to Pakistan. As the House was about to rise, I wrote to all colleagues to give details.

As tensions increased between the two countries, I announced on 31 May a draw-down of less-essential British staff and their families from all posts in Pakistan and from new Delhi and Mumbai and also issued new travel advice for India. Last Wednesday (5 June) I announced a further strengthening of our advice in respect of both countries.

Mr Speaker, we are also working hard to keep the South Asian communities here properly informed about what we are doing. My right honourable Friend the Home Secretary met representatives of these communities on 29 May to listen to their concerns. And I held a similar meeting the following day on my return from the sub-continent.

Our High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad are amongst the busiest visa and consular operations in the world. Throughout this difficult period we have maintained a service in India, albeit at a reduced level. Visa and consular operations in Pakistan had to be temporarily suspended, but I am pleased to tell the House that a limited service resumed last Thursday (6 June).

Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the more hopeful signs, the situation in the region remains dangerous. The problems between India and Pakistan cannot satisfactorily be resolved by military means. This would only lead to more suffering, and potentially devastating consequences for everyone. Working with our international partners, particularly with the US, our diplomatic efforts are there to encourage both sides to take the necessary steps to end terrorism, to reduce tensions and to enter into effective dialogue. Only then can we hope to break the cycle of crises and secure a permanent peaceful settlement to the issue of Kashmir.

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