Brown attacks Pakistan over UK terror threat

Published on Thursday 9 April 2009 22:23

GORDON Brown last night said Pakistan had to do more to tackle terrorism after it emerged that 11 of the 12 suspects seized in raids by police were on student visas from that country.

The Prime Minister vowed to put pressure on Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari, as details of the alleged plotters emerged.

And there were calls for Mr Brown to tighten up the UK's student visa regime.

Meanwhile, Bob Quick, the man whose careless carrying of a document detailing the planned raids forced the anti-terror operation to be rushed forward by a day, resigned from his post as Britain's top counter-terrorist officer.

Speaking in Carlisle, the Prime Minister linked the plot to Pakistan, saying: "We are dealing with a very big terrorist plot. We have been following it for some time. There were a number of people who are suspected of it, who have been arrested. That police operation was successful.

"We know that there are links between terrorists in Britain and terrorists in Pakistan. That is an important issue for us to follow through and that's why I will be talking to President Zardari about what Pakistan can do to help us in the future.

"One of the lessons we have learned from the past few years is that Pakistan has to do more to root out terrorist elements in its country as well."

Mr Brown defended the anti-terror operation but suggested more work had to be done to stop lawless areas of Pakistan acting as safe havens for extremists to plot attacks worldwide.

Mr Quick's security lapse forced officers to strike on Wednesday – a day earlier than planned.

He resigned yesterday after he was photographed in Downing Street carrying a memo marked "secret" with details of the forthcoming operation.

He was replaced by John Yates, who headed the controversial "cash for honours" inquiry, which stained the final months of Tony Blair's premiership.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had agreed that Mr Quick's position was untenable. David Blunkett, a former home secretary, questioned whether photographers in Downing Street should be subject to tighter controls.

Police defended the raids, as unsubstantiated reports said that the plot, possibly involving a bomb, had been planned for Easter.

Britain's biggest counter-terrorism operation since the Glasgow airport bombing came as hundreds of officers swooped on addresses in Manchester, Liverpool – including John Moores University – and Lancashire.

Among those held were two security guards working at a branch of Homebase in Clitheroe, a student outside the university library and four men at addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester.

The men had been under surveillance by MI5 and police for weeks but sources said the plot was at an advanced stage.

The targets were believed to have included a nightclub in Manchester favoured by footballers, Manchester United's Old Trafford ground and the Trafford Centre shopping complex.

Students at John Moores University in Liverpool were warned about the terror raid over the public address system.

Meanwhile, the revelation that most of the suspects were not "home grown" extremists led to a call for ministers to rethink the visa regime.

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said the government must "urgently step up" background checks on students coming to Britain from countries linked to terror.

He said: "The government admits that student visas are a major loophole in our border controls. Given these latest revelations, we need to urgently step up monitoring of applications from parts of the world where we face terror issues."

Pakistani-born students routinely have their visas rolled over into indefinite leave to remain, which leads to eventual citizenship status. Figures from 2006 showed 98 per cent of applications for extension of leave to remain in Britain were granted.

A total of 42,292 student visas were issued to Pakistanis between April 2004 and April 2008. In 2007-8, the last financial year for which figures are available, 9,544 Pakistani nationals were given student visas.

Sir Andrew Green, from the campaign group Migrationwatch , said the government had turned a blind eye to the risks associated with student visas.

He said: "Applicants from countries of concern like Pakistan and North Africa should be given a full interview by a UK-based visa officer and only admitted if they can demonstrate that they are genuine."

However, universities were warned by a Muslim leader not to overreact by penalising all students.

Humza Yousaf, of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, said a blanket crackdown on students from Pakistan would damage Scottish universities' funding and performance, and the country's proud tradition.