LONDON (Diya TV) — The British government has urged calm and direct dialogue between India and Pakistan following a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, warning against tensions spilling over onto UK streets.

Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer addressed Parliament on Tuesday in response to an Urgent Question from Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan, expressing the UK’s “full support” for India in its pursuit of justice after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, including several Hindu and Christian pilgrims.

“The horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam was devastating,” Falconer said. “We call on all sides, all community leaders, and all involved to call for calm at a time of tension in the region.”

Falconer emphasized that both the Indian and Pakistani High Commissions in London would receive full protection under the UK’s obligations as outlined in the Vienna Convention, after reports of violence and provocative acts outside both diplomatic missions. This includes a “throat-slitting gesture” allegedly made by a Pakistani official, and an incident in which a man smashed windows at the Pakistan High Commission.

According to multiple reports, Ankit Love, a 41-year-old man originally from Jammu and Kashmir, was charged with criminal damage after allegedly vandalizing the Pakistan High Commission on Sunday. He had previously been blacklisted by the Indian government for throwing stones and eggs at the Indian High Commission in 2022.

“The Metropolitan Police are investigating,” Falconer said regarding the video of the threatening gesture. “So I will not provide any further commentary on that particular incident, but it is concerning.”

MPs from across party lines condemned the April 22 attack, raising alarm over its impact on British Indian and Pakistani communities. Falconer acknowledged the unease the violence had caused within the UK.

“This escalation is unsettling for communities within the UK,” he said. “British Pakistanis and British Indians are valued parts of our community, but we look to all community and faith leaders to spread the message that now is the time for coming together across religious and ethnic differences.”

In the House of Commons debate, some MPs questioned Pakistan’s role in harboring militant groups, with Labour’s Barry Gardiner asking if it was time to condition UK aid on Islamabad shutting down terrorist training camps.

“Until the investigation is concluded, we should not speculate on the nature of the attack,” Falconer responded. “We encourage Pakistanis to cooperate fully with the Indian government in their efforts to investigate.”

Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel pressed Falconer on any “cross-border links to Pakistan among the perpetrators.” While he refrained from revealing any intelligence from British security services, Falconer maintained the UK would assist India in ensuring accountability.

“We want to see the perpetrators held to justice properly, and we will be supporting India to do so,” he said. “It is important that there is a proper law-enforcement-led response based on a focus on the actual perpetrators.”

He reiterated the UK’s long-standing position that the resolution to Kashmir lies in bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan, taking into account the will of the Kashmiri people.

“It is not for us to prescribe a solution,” Falconer stated. “The two states are talking to each other, which is welcome. We are friends to them both, and we do not want to see an uncontrolled escalation in tensions.”

He also addressed concerns raised by MPs over the BBC’s initial description of the attack as “militancy.” Falconer clarified: “Let me be clear — this was a horrific terrorist attack, and that is the view of the British government.”