LONDON, June 20: Britain continued to grant arms export licences to Pakistan and India throughout the recent crisis, according to government figures released on Thursday.

They showed that days before ministers warned Britons to leave the Sub-continent, citing the prospect of war, the British government was granting licences for military aircraft and weapons.

The data was given to Menzies Campbell, a spokesman on foreign affairs for the Liberal Democrats, Britain’s third largest political party.

Between May 1 and 20, Britain’s trade and industry department issued 39 export licences to India and four to Pakistan, the figures showed.

Around 25 licences for military aircraft, related equipment and components were granted to India in December, three in January, eight in February, 30 in March, 45 in April and 21 in the first three weeks of May.

Three licences of the same category were licensed to Pakistan in December, one in January, 20 in March, five in April and three in the first three weeks of May.

According to the Guardian daily, other licences covered howitzers, rockets, missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes and combat vessels.

On May 22, Britain announced it was pulling more than 150 diplomatic staff and families out of Pakistan and urged other Britons to leave.

On May 31, it advised its nationals in India to “consider” leaving because “of the increased risk of conflict” and on June 5 hardened that advice to say they “should” leave the region.

At the same time, ministers and officials were quoted as indicating Britain was clamping down on arms sales to both countries, although Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted exports had not been suspended.

In 2000, British arms exports to India were worth around 64 million pounds, easily dwarfing sales to Pakistan of just six million pounds.

The British government says it looks at export licences on a “case by case” basis, including considering how they would affect peace and security. —AFP