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LONDON, Friday (AFP) Prime Minister Tony Blair defended the export of British arms to India and Pakistan despite the recent crisis between the two nuclear powers over Kashmir.

He said the suggestion that Britain should "shut down our defence industry in those circumstances" was "absolutely bizarre."

"That is not what is stimulating the conflict in Kashmir," he told a press conference in his Downing Street offices.

The prime minister was reacting to official figures which showed that, days before ministers last month warned Britons to leave the sub-continent because of the threat of war, the government was granting arms export licences.

Blair said the solution lay in Pakistan "ceasing completely and absolutely its support for terrorism in Kashmir, or indeed exported from Kashmir," and on the other hand, in India recognising that was the case and offering "dialogue on all the issues."

"The arms sales issue is a bit of a canard," he added.

The arms export data was dug out by Menzies Campbell, spokesman on foreign affairs for the Liberal Democrats, Britain's third main party.

Although India and Pakistan have confronted each other for years over their disputed border in Kashmir, the latest standoff escalated after a December 13 suicide attack on the Indian parliament.

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

Around 25 licences, which included military aircraft, related equipment and components, were granted to India in December, along with 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. 

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