What the media says about me...

"Gordon Prentice: serial rebel, serious parliamentarian, as irritating as a mosquito, as persistent as an itch."

Ann Treneman. The Times. May 2009

Gordon urges Pakistanis to bury their differences

Tags: Nuclear | Pakistan | Press Release | Terrorism

Tuesday, 23 September 2008 00:00

Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, today warned that nuclear armed Pakistan was close to becoming a dysfunctional state, alternating between military and civilian Governments with neither addressing the real deep seated problems gripping the country. The MP was speaking in Nelson after British Airways announced that it was suspending indefinitely all flights to Pakistan. BA flies into the capital, Islamabad, six times a week. In a separate move, it was reported that the company that runs four visa application centres on behalf of the British High Commission had closed the sites for a security review. The MP said: “When I was last in Pakistan, I stayed at the Marriott, the hotel that is now a burnt out shell. I have a vivid memory of the lobby and the restaurants and all the bustle that you get in a busy hotel. I am shocked by what happened, the deaths and the horrible mutilations of innocent people.” The MP added: “For now, in the wake of the Marriott bombing, security is the headline issue. But, in the medium term, Pakistan has got to modernise and tackle widespread illiteracy. It has got to invest in education, transfer resources from its huge military budget, and root out the corruption that is endemic. There must be unity of purpose on these issues.” “It is in everyone’s interest for Pakistan to become a stable, modern and democratic state. No comfort should be given to those with medieval ideologies who want to hold the country back.” The Marriott bomb reportedly killed 53 people and injured 266, many seriously.