Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Ian Taylor (Conservative). It was answered on Monday, 1 June 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Topical Questions

Question: My son is one of the officers fighting alongside brave men in Afghanistan at the moment. One issue that all our soldiers face concerns the porous border with Pakistan. What is the Ministry of Defence doing to assist the Government of Pakistan and their army to try to establish further control through what seem, so far, to be successful activities in the Swat valley?

Answer: First, may I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman's son? We respect and salute his service in the name of our country. On Pakistan, the hon. Gentleman has again identified an important point. We are providing a range of help and support to Pakistan's security forces, particularly the frontier corps, helping them improve their capabilities and their ability to deal with the serious threat to Pakistan's nascent democracy posed by the Taliban and similar extremists. We are involved in a training role with the Pakistani military, too, and we will continue to extend the hand of friendship to the Pakistani armed forces in their fundamental struggle against the forces of darkness and primitivism.

Secondary information