Partners must understand India's zero-tolerance on terror: Jaishankar in UK talks

India is firmly committed to a "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism and will not accept any equivalence between terrorists and their victims, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday during discussions with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in New Delhi.

The comments come amid the nation's concern over some countries drawing parallels between India and Pakistan following the recent military standoff. Lammy arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to review and strengthen the India-UK strategic partnership.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar expressed appreciation for the UK’s condemnation of the recent "barbaric" terror attack in Pahalgam and its continued support for India’s counter-terrorism efforts.

“Let me thank the Government of the United Kingdom for the strong condemnation of the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and for your solidarity and support to India in the fight against terrorism,” Jaishankar said.

“We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims,” he added.

During the talks, India reportedly raised concerns about cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan. The UK had previously engaged with both India and Pakistan last month, encouraging de-escalation during their military tensions.

It may be noted that before visiting India, Lammy had travelled to Islamabad on May 16, where he welcomed the May 10 agreement between the two neighbours to cease hostilities.

In other developments, Jaishankar described the recently concluded India-UK Free Trade Agreement and the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention as major milestones in bilateral ties during the talks.

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