`Give Pakistan Time And Space To Act On Terror'

British diplomat says anything that comes out of UN is a negotiation and one has to make concessions

- Suhasini Haidar

The U.K. is consistently engaged in speaking to India and Pakistan about deescalating tensions following Februarys Pulwama terror attack and the subsequent Balakot strikes, says U.K.'s Permanent Under Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Simon McDonald, who was in Delhi this week for Foreign Office Consultations.

How much of a part did the U.K. play in the designation of Masood Azhar at the UN Security Council 1267 committee?

A central part. I know that is not necessarily the story around the world. I can tell you this was a collective effort, but the U.K. played a central part in the designation. It was the right thing to do and we were proud to play that central part.

In India, there has been a controversy over the wording of the designation. The original proposal from the U.S., the U.K. and France included a reference to the Pulwama attacks and to terror attacks inJanmm and Kashmir carried out by Masood Azhar as leader of the JeM, but the final listing did not mention them.

I would focus on the fact of [Azhar's] designation. The detailed rubric is secondary to the fact that he has been designated. That was an Indian priority, and it has been achieved. So focus on the prize rather than the rubric.