India and Pakistan: Peace Representations

Lord Callanan Excerpts

Thursday 17th July 2025 Grand Committee

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, I join in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Hussain, for securing this important debate. He is rightly concerned about the importance of restoring peace to the region.

With more than 3 million British nationals of Pakistani and Indian origin, of course the UK shares strong and long-standing ties with the region. Those ties are rooted not only in modern migration patterns but in a deep, shared history—from our intertwined legacies as Commonwealth nations to our enduring cultural, economic and familial ties. The UK has long valued its partnerships with both India and Pakistan, forged through decades of diplomacy, trade and shared values. These relationships continue to shape our society and contribute meaningfully to our national life. We recognise that rising tensions between the two countries inevitably cause concern and anxiety among those communities.

The UK is a close partner to both India and Pakistan, and we on these Benches rightly welcome commitments from both nations to end further military action. We back efforts to support both nations on their path to establishing a lasting ceasefire to restore regional stability and help safeguard civilians in the longer term. We all know that the path to peace is rarely smooth, and these developments, however incremental, are to be welcomed. My colleagues and I remain hopeful that these steps can be built on and that further confidence-building measures can lead to a more stable and secure relationship between these two important states.

However, we cannot speak of peace without addressing the horrific act of terrorism that took place in April in the town of Pahalgam, where 26 innocent lives were taken in a brutal and deliberate attack. This was an act of terrorism, and we should call it out clearly and unequivocally as such. Terrorists and their networks are not bound by national borders; they pose a threat to peace and stability far beyond that region. That is why, in my view, the UK should work with the Governments of both India and Pakistan to tackle these threats head on through robust counterterrorism co-operation, intelligence sharing and support for initiatives that promote peace and deradicalisation.

It is in the interests of the international community that this conflict does not escalate and that we take meaningful steps now to reduce the chance of future surges in tensions, which would have serious ramifications not only in Kashmir but in this country and the rest of the world. My colleagues and I have long recognised this, and we welcome the fact that the UK has for a long time maintained a deep and historic security relationship with India.

Our counterterrorism co-operation stretches back decades, from the New Delhi declaration of 2002 to the India-UK strategic partnership of 2016 and the comprehensive strategic partnership of 2022. These agreements—many of which were reached under successive Conservative Governments, I am pleased to say—have enshrined our commitment to India’s security and our shared interest in combating extremism. We must continue to strengthen those ties under the 2030 road map, ensuring that they remain watertight and fit for today’s security challenges. I hope that the Minister will take this opportunity to set out what further steps the Government are taking to further this partnership and, specifically, how she is working with counterparts in India to limit the spread of radical nationalism, which directly pertains to this debate.

Of course, we must also retain dialogue and co-operation with Pakistan. We are rightly concerned by the continuing presence of terrorist infrastructure within its borders. That is why we support calls for the Government to obtain secure, firm and verifiable commitments from Pakistan to dismantle those networks. The shadow Foreign Secretary has raised this issue directly and forcefully, and we will continue to monitor closely the Government’s efforts, to ensure that they are not just rhetoric but backed by practical steps.