Hansard

Like the terrorist attacks in Lockerbie and Paris, the massacre in the school in Peshawar in Pakistan on 18 December 2014 was a stark reminder of the reality that the world is in conflict today. The Peshawar school massacre is a horror story that drives home a powerful image of what the people of Pakistan face daily. In a country that is, sadly, used to bad news, the deaths of 141 people, including 132 children, were shocking and disastrous.

The events in Peshawar brought home the stark brutality of the conflict. There was no apparent strategic or political aim behind the attack apart from to spread terror. It was terrorism in its purest form: the Taliban wanted to show that it could and would attack anybody at any time, anywhere.

However, that very personal act of terror, in which gunmen went from classroom to classroom, shooting children at point-blank range, has brought about a very strong response in Pakistan. The country’s civilian and military leaders are now standing side by side for the first time, working to frame clearly the country’s anti-terrorist strategy.

It is at this watershed moment, more than at any other time, that Pakistan needs international support and understanding. Since the attacks on the twin towers on 11 September 2001, which marked a turning point in the way terrorism and Muslims have been viewed, it is important to remember that terrorism harms people all over the world, not just in the west.

Over the past 13 years in Pakistan more than 70,000 people have lost their lives and the economic damage is estimated at more than $80 billion. That is a price that Pakistan cannot afford to pay. For things to change, we have to consider the link between poverty and illiteracy, and the terror threat that the Pakistan Taliban poses.

The word “taliban” simply means “student”. Poor people send their boys to madrasas, or religious schools, because sometimes that is the only means whereby the children can get any form of education. Over time, the schools have become recruiting grounds for terrorist organisations, which prey on poor and disadvantaged young people who have little hope of finding employment.

Pakistan’s huge energy shortage has hurt industry, thereby increasing unemployment and creating more unrest. Factories without power have closed down and have laid off workers who would normally provide for their families and help the country’s economy.

I am sure that many members are aware of our close historical links with Pakistan, which go back to the days of the British empire, when soldiers from the region fought with us in the first and second world wars. Pakistan was created in 1947, and many of the country’s institutions, including its education and judicial systems, are modelled on the British system.

Today, the relationship between Pakistan and Scotland has developed, and the Pakistani diaspora makes an important contribution to the economy of Scotland. Scottish institutions are twinned with Pakistani schools, colleges, universities and children’s hospitals, and there are twinning arrangements between cities, such as that between Glasgow and Lahore. Therefore, trouble in Pakistan troubles the hearts of people in our Scottish communities. Whether or not we have lost family members or friends, at times like this relations between Scotland and Pakistan should be a great source of strength.

The work that Gordon Brown has undertaken to support literacy in Pakistan, as United Nations special envoy for global education, has had a huge impact on the country and will continue to do so for generations to come. The British Council is re-opening its libraries—I hope that that will happen in July—to win hearts and minds and help to deal with the challenge of illiteracy in Pakistan.

We in Scotland should look at the Pakistan country plan and consider how we can explore the possibility of working together and playing our part in bringing prosperity to our friends in Pakistan, as we have tried to do in the past.

We need to remember all those people around the world who have lost loved ones directly or indirectly through terrorist attacks. We must be united and stand firm against such acts. We must support one another to fight this cancer, especially in countries like Pakistan, which cannot do it alone, as we know. We need to show that Pakistan is no longer alone and that its allies and true friends have rallied round in support of its Government and people. We should never abandon allies. It is essential that the people of Pakistan realise that they have friends in Scotland who will stand shoulder to shoulder with them, in good times and bad. I pray to God that we will have the opportunity to fulfil that promise.

There is a good, warm working relationship and a deep understanding between Lahore and Glasgow. We have had many exchanges over the years and the twinning arrangement has played an important role in enabling us to identify friends with whom we can work. Every time we have had an issue in Scotland, our friends in Lahore have sent us their sympathy and support, and it is only appropriate that we do the same. I hope that people in Pakistan will appreciate that the Scottish Government and Parliament have openly declared support for them.