‘Horrified’: UK PM Starmer, Sri Lankan President Dissanayake Dial PM Modi To Condemn Pahalgam Terror Attack

<p>London, Apr 25 (PTI) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and said he was “horrified” by the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.</p>
<p>According to a readout of the call from 10 Downing Street, Starmer expressed his deep condolences on behalf of the British people, and both leaders agreed to stay in touch.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The Prime Minister (Starmer) began by saying he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, which saw the tragic loss of 26 innocent lives,&rdquo; a Downing Street spokesperson said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;He expressed his deep condolences on behalf of the British people to all those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The leaders agreed to stay in touch,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.</p>
<p>The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Starmer conveyed his sincere condolences on the innocent lives lost in the &ldquo;heinous terror attack on Indian soil&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&ldquo;He strongly condemned the barbaric terror attack and expressed that the UK stands with the people of India in this hour of tragedy,&rdquo; MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the Pahalgam terror attack was raised in the House of Commons by Opposition Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman, Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, who called for a parliamentary statement by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.</p>
<p>&ldquo;On Tuesday, we saw the systematic murder of Hindu pilgrims in Pahalgam in India. The sad reality is that the terrorist group thought to be responsible for this, Lashkar-e-Taiba, is a Pakistani organisation that deliberately targets innocent people in Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; Blackman told parliament.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We must give our reassurance and support to the Government of India in ensuring that they apprehend these terrorists and those responsible for supporting them are also brought to justice,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, said the UK &ldquo;stands shoulder to shoulder&rdquo; with India and &ldquo;resolutely condemns&rdquo; the cowardly act of terror.</p>
<p>British Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi also raised the &ldquo;shocking, cowardly, and deadly terrorist attack on innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir&rdquo; in the Commons, calling for the perpetrators to be &ldquo;swiftly brought to justice&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That horrific terrorist attack in Kashmir was utterly devastating and a cowardly act. My thoughts and those of the whole government are with the affected, especially those who have lost loved ones,&rdquo; said Powell, expressing the British Parliament&rsquo;s stance.&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Sri Lankan president calls PM Modi to express solidarity in wake of Pahalgam terror attack</strong></h3>
<p>President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express solidarity with India over the Pahalgam terrorist attack.</p>
<p>The telephone call lasted 15 minutes, the president&rsquo;s office said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Dissanayake stressed Sri Lanka&rsquo;s firm anti-terror stance and hopes for regional de-escalation&rdquo;, the statement from his office said.</p>
<p>Terrorists opened fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.</p>
<p>Earlier, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a letter to Modi, had expressed solidarity.</p>
<p>Also, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. &ldquo;Sri Lanka strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured&rdquo;, it said.</p>
<p><em><strong>(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)<br /></strong></em></p>