UK MP hails all-party Indian delegation's counter-terrorism message in Parliament
London (PTI): UK Opposition Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman updated the House of Commons Thursday on the recent visit of an all-party Indian delegation to reiterate India's zero-tolerance stance against terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
In his capacity as the Chair of the House of Commons Backbench Business Committee, Blackman informed Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell of the cross-party and cross-religion delegation's interactions with many British MPs and officials.
He went on to call for a government statement on the steps to be taken to support India in its counter-terror mission in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attacks and the following Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps backed by Pakistan.
"Over the weekend and earlier this week, we had our first cross-party delegation from India for many years. It included parliamentarians from all religions, and I know that many MPs and Members of the House of Lords had the opportunity to meet them,” said Blackman.
"Two things came out of that delegation loudly and clearly: first, that the uneasy truce that exists between India and Pakistan could at any time be violated if further terrorist actions emanate from Pakistan; and secondly, that India is reaching out for support from the west on security and defence measures, and we must assist it,” said the Tory MP.
"May we have a statement next week, probably from the Foreign Secretary, on what we in this Parliament will do to support India in its need to quash terrorism,” he asked.
Responding on behalf of the government, Powell expressed her regret at being unable to meet the delegation while they were on a three-day UK visit earlier this week.
"He is right that our relationship with India is important, which is why this government are so pleased that we have agreed an unprecedented trade deal with India,” said Powell.
“There are also, as he says, security and other issues between India and Pakistan, and this House has been kept updated on those matters and I shall make sure that continues to be the case,” she said.
Blackman held talks with BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad-led delegation as a member of the India All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), which had hosted the nine-member team during a final London engagement at the House of Lords complex before departing for Belgium on Tuesday.
"We have got to build on the trade and security links that we have negotiated over the past few years to enable the United Kingdom and India to operate together for mutual benefit… there’s nothing better than hearing directly from other colleagues in Parliament in India to enable us to understand exactly what India is doing,” the MP for Harrow East in London said, following the meeting earlier this week.
“There is an uneasy truce between India and Pakistan but the reality is that if Pakistan continues to foster terrorism, allow terrorist bases to operate from their side of the Line of Control, then India must respond and eradicate that terrorism,” he said.
The all-party delegation has since been holding discussions with European Union (EU) officials in Brussels before concluding their six-nation Europe tour in Germany.
Besides Prasad, the delegation included Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shia Sena), Gulam All Khatana (BJP), Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), M Thambidurai (AIADMIC), M J Akbar (BJP), and former diplomat Pankaj Saran.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to record low of 90.87 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee plunged 9 paise to a record low of 90.87 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, weighed down by sustained FII outflows and no breakthrough in the India-US trade deal.
However, a weaker greenback and a decline in global crude oil prices capped further losses in the domestic unit, according to forex traders.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at its all-time low of 90.87 against the US dollar, down 9 paise from its previous close, and traded in a narrow range of 90.77- 90.87 in early trade.
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The rupee on Monday settled at a new all-time low of 90.78 against the US dollar, registering a loss of 29 paise over its previous close, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
"The US-India trade deal still seems to be off by a distance with the Commerce Secretary saying the first phase will be signed before the end of the year and news that we are closest to the deal being signed. The uncertainty has clouded the recovery on the USD/INR pair as the rupee opened lower with dollar buying happening every day," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Even a reduction in trade deficit on Monday could not bring about a recovery in the rupee with Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) outflows continuing, he added
According to the latest government data released on Monday, India's trade deficit narrowed to a five-month low of USD 24.53 billion in November, as exports rebounded by 19.37 per cent to a six-month high of USD 38.13 billion after contracting in October, driven by higher shipments of engineering and electronics goods.
At the same time, the country's imports dipped by 1.88 per cent to USD 62.66 billion due to a fall in the inbound shipments of gold, crude oil, coal, and coke.
FIIs sold equities worth Rs 1,468.32 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
Also, wholesale price inflation stayed in the negative for the second consecutive month in November at (-) 0.32 per cent, even though there was an uptick in prices of food articles like pulses and vegetables on a month-on-month basis, government data showed on Monday.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was at (-) 1.21 per cent in October and 2.16 per cent in November last year.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.03 per cent lower at 98.27.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.61 per cent lower at USD 60.19 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index, Sensex, declined 363.92 points to 84,849.44 in early trade while the Nifty was down 106.65 points to 25,920.65.
