All-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad arrives in Brussels

Brussels [Belgium], June 4 (ANI): An all-party parliamentary delegation, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, arrived in Brussels after concluding their visit to the United Kingdom. India's Ambassador to Belgium, Saurabh Kumar, received them at the airport in Brussels.

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During the two-day visit, the delegation is scheduled to hold several meetings aimed at consolidating global consensus against cross-border terrorism.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg stated, "On One Mission, One Message, One India. An All-Party Delegation led by Hon'ble Member of Parliament Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad was received by Amb @AmbSaurabhKumar upon arrival in Brussels. The visit, during which a series of meetings is scheduled over the next two days, aims to consolidate global consensus against cross-border terrorism."

https://x.com/indembassybru/status/1929984357084868792

The delegation led by Ravi Shankar Prasad includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari and Samik Bhattacharya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress MPs Ghulam Ali Khatana and Amar Singh, former Union Minister MJ Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.

Earlier, the delegation, led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, visited the UK to garner widespread support for India's fight against terrorism and to expose Pakistan's role in fostering terrorism. The delegation received widespread support from British parliamentarians, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora for India's firm stance against terrorism.

Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that during their time in the UK, the delegation met with key UK figures, including the Speaker of the House of Commons and Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, emphasising the need for international accountability on terrorism financing amidst appreciation for India's democratic approach.

Prasad highlighted the global concern over terrorism as a "cancer" and called for scrutiny of Pakistan's use of international funds, noting the novelty of the all-party delegation initiative.

"This has been really good. Our visit to England concludes today. We held a press conference at the India House here; we met the Speaker of the House of Commons this morning. We met the Chairman of the Conservative Party yesterday; we also met Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel. We also met Indian Friends in the Labour Party... We also interacted with Think Tanks. All of them are concerned that terrorism is a cancer... We also said that they (Pakistan) get loans from the IMF and World Bank and they get other funding too. So, is the funding being used for terrorism and weapon purchases or for the poor? This should be asked of them... Everyone said one more thing: that the all-party Parliamentary delegation visit is a new initiative," Prasad said.

Congress MP Amar Singh emphasised the delegation's efforts to explain India's terrorism challenges and urged Pakistan's government to clarify its stance.

"We met several people here. We met the Speaker, Ministers, a few State Ministers, Labour MPs, and Conservative MPs. We have tried to explain how India is being affected by terrorism... We have also said how our neighbouring country troubles us again and again. Now, their Government has to decide what stand they take. But we have said everything we had to," Singh stated.

During the UK visit, the delegation met UK Minister for Citizenship and Migration and Minister for Equalities Seema Malhotra at the UK Parliament. The delegation also held a meeting with the UK's Shadow Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel and her team on Sunday to share India's firm resolve in countering cross-border terrorism.

In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in the UK stated, "The All-Party Parliamentary Delegation met with Shadow Foreign Secretary @pritipatel and her team to share India's firm resolve in combating cross-border terrorism. They also highlighted how #OperationSindoor exemplifies the new normal set by India in this ongoing effort."

An all-party delegation visited London as part of India's global outreach program to convey the country's firm stance against terrorism. This diplomatic outreach follows Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, which claimed 26 lives.

Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)