NEW DELHI: While thanking his visiting UK counterpart David Lammy for the strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, external affairs minister S Jaishankar told him India will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims.India follows a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expects its partners to understand it, Jaishankar told Lammy who visited Pakistan last month welcoming “sustained ceasefire between Pakistan and India, both important partners to the UK”. Lammy became the first UK foreign secretary to visit Pakistan since 2021.India doesn’t use the word ceasefire and has strongly denied that the US or any other country had a role to play in the cessation of military hostilities between India and Pakistan last month.Lammy also called on PM Narendra Modi and strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack, expressing support for India’s fight against cross border terrorism. Modi underscored the need for a decisive international action against terrorism and those who support it, according to an Indian readout. He later said in a post on X that he valued UK’s support for India’s fight against cross-border terrorism. Lammy later told Reuters without elaborating that India and the UK are discussing “next steps” in counterterrorism measures, while acknowledging terrorism designed to destabilise India. In the meeting, Modi expressed satisfaction at the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement and welcomed the deepening of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Lammy, according to the readout, conveyed the UK’s strong interest in further enhancing cooperation across key sectors including trade and investment, defence and security, technology, innovation, and clean energy. Lammy expressed confidence that the FTA will unlock new economic opportunities for both countries.As the two countries remain in touch diplomatically to finalise dates for a proposed visit to India by UK PM Keir Starmer, Modi reiterated his invitation for an early visit by his counterpart. The visit will see both sides formally signing the FTA. Lammy also met commerce minister Piyush Goyal and NSA Ajit Doval during the visit.The ministry of external affairs said Jaishankar and Lammy reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction at the progress in diverse sectors, including trade & economy, defence & security, technology & innovation, health, green energy & climate, education and people-to-people ties under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.