Simon Danczuk MP

Fighting for Rochdale, Littleborough and Milnrow

Cameron’s ‘loose tongue’ could threaten the safety of British troops, warns MP

The vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pakistan has warned that the diplomatic row caused by David Cameron after he accused Pakistan of exporting terrorism could increase the safety risk faced by British soldiers.
 
Rochdale’s MP Simon Danczuk has expressed concern that Pakistan has threatened to suspend intelligence sharing as a result of the Prime Minister’s comments.  Adding that co-operation with Islamabad was vital to protect British forces against attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan, he said it was “worrying” that the Pakistani intelligence agency had cancelled a security meeting with their British counterparts in the last week.
 
“This is a critical time in Afghanistan and I have concerns that David Cameron’s megaphone diplomacy could put our soldiers at greater risk,” he said. “There are 600 soldiers from the 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment currently on a gruelling six-month tour in Afghanistan and I speak to the families of soldiers from Rochdale who all want their sons to return home safely and as quickly as possible.
 
“We need to keep close ties with Pakistan to tackle international terrorism and help secure a swift exit from Afghanistan. But with one ill-advised remark our Prime Minister has put this relationship under threat. Any breakdown in intelligence sharing could make the task for British soldiers in Afghanistan even harder. Intelligence sharing is based on trust and David Cameron has damaged the bond of trust between our two countries. This is not the kind of international diplomacy we need.
 
“Taliban militants have killed thousands of people in Pakistan and they have suffered greatly from terrorist groups. Let’s not forget that Benazir Bhutto was killed by terrorists in her own country. Now is not the time to be lecturing Pakistan. Our Government needs to do less finger wagging and offer more co-operation.”