U.K. review warns against anti-India rhetoric over Kashmir, pro-Khalistan extremism

The rhetoric from Pakistan is impacting UK Muslim communities when it comes to inflaming anti-India sentiment, the report says.

A review into the United Kingdom government's scheme set up to prevent terrorism has made recommendations for improvements to tackle Islamist extremism as the "primary threat" to the country and also flagged other areas of growing concern, including the radicalisation of U.K. Muslims over Kashmir and "potentially toxic" pro-Khalistan extremism.

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The review into the government's counter-terrorism early intervention Prevent strategy published this week warned that rhetoric from Pakistan is impacting UK Muslim communities when it comes to "inflaming anti-India sentiment, particularly around the subject of Kashmir".

It also warns against a false narrative being disseminated by a tiny number of pro-Khalistan groups operating in the UK.

"There is an element of crossover between those who seek to impose limits around blasphemy with those who voice incendiary rhetoric on Kashmir.

"I have seen evidence of UK extremist groups, as well as a Pakistani cleric with a UK following, calling for the use of violence in Kashmir. I have also seen evidence demonstrating that flashpoints related to Kashmir lead to a significant surge in interest from UK Islamists," reads the review.

It noted that there is no reason to believe this issue will disappear as a grievance that Islamists will seek to exploit in years to come. "This has potential relevance to Prevent, as there are examples of those convicted of terrorism offences in the UK who had first fought in Kashmir. This includes those who subsequently joined al-Qaeda."