§ 22. Mr. BryantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent security developments in Pakistan. [62126]
778W
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienWe remain seriously concerned about the security situation in Pakistan and are appalled by the many incidents of terrorist violence against Pakistani and foreign nationals. The vicious attack on worshippers in an Islamabad church in March and the two recent bombings in Karachi were particularly horrifying. As soon as the news of the latest bombing reached us, I immediately issued a statement expressing our sympathies to the friends and relatives of those killed.
We will continue to urge the Pakistani authorities to sustain their efforts to root out the terrorists and bring them to justice. The threat of war between India and Pakistan has further undermined the security environment in the region. We are encouraged by the recent steps taken by the Pakistani and Indian Governments to defuse tensions and will continue to urge them to move away from confrontation and towards dialogue.