France is now moving closer to India to ensure it can keep its promise towards strengthening counter-terrorism. Towards this, Paris has indicated that it would work towards ending export of critical defence items to Pakistan.India has seen France as its main strategic partner in Europe. Their collaboration has increased since there has been talks over expelling the French envoy in February from Pakistan over a cartoon controversy that brought ill will to French President Emmanuel Macron.
While France was under fire from all Islamic countries for its stance over the terror attack on a French teacher, India has stood by Paris over its strict stance.Paris has decided to join forces with India as the Pakistani authorities decided on their commitment made with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in mid-November to expel the French ambassador stationed in Islamabad. If this is not done, by February 17, TLP has threatened to launch a protest march in the Pak capital.
Working towards a common cause, Paris and New Delhi have decided to expand their information-sharing mechanism and increase coordination between their law enforcement agencies to effectively counter-terror network globally.The seemingly religious statement has been blown out of proportions and has transformed itself into a political vendetta. Last year, a French teacher used a cartoon to explain the importance of Prophet Mohammed to his class, post which he was gun down by extremists in France.
President Macron took a strict stance against all non profit Islamic groups and declared that such kind of violence will not be tolerated in France. Later, there were incidents of mass bombing and killing too.TLP on its part has always tried to use radical thoughts to get weightage and attention to its credentials. This is one reason it rose to the level of the fifth largest political party of Pakistan despite not holding a single seat in the 2018 elections.
