12-09-2010, 01:20 PM
British Prime Minister David Cameron has been humiliatingly snubbed by Pakistan as he wanted to visit the Islamic state after seeing troops in Afghanistan but President Asif Ali Zardari rejected the idea, claimed British newspapers Daily Mail and Daily Mirror quoting diplomatic sources.
According to papers, Cameron wanted to visit Pakistan to try a patch up Pakistani leadership, after he had accused Pakistan of ‘facing both ways on terror’ during a visit to India – its mortal enemy.
However, the Pakistani Foreign Office in Islamabad described the news item as baseless, saying the British PM was expected to visit Pakistan soon for which the dates were being finalised. Government-owned APP said British Prime Minister David Cameron telephoned President Zardari on Wednesday night. The two leaders discussed bilateral matters as well as the situation in the region.
The Daily Mail said, “Cameron often tries to squeeze several countries into a single foreign visit, as the busy PM has to try and deal with the recession and cuts agenda at home. His last trip to the region ended with Mr Cameron causing great offence: first to Pakistan for casting doubt on its commitment to fighting terror, and second to Israel for criticising their treatment of the Palestinians while he was addressing Turkey, which is also a Muslim country.”
Later, at a press conference in the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Cameron failed to repeat his controversial remark that Pakistan faced ‘both ways on terror’, as he hailed its ‘progress’ in clearing up terrorism camps in the Swat valley.
Whitehall sources admitted, “They said the timing wasn’t great for them. They were not sure the prime minister would be there,” reported the Daily Mail.
The PM was questioned by Afghan media about how the British could use its influence with Islamabad to stop the radical Islamic schools.
He replied: “We do have a very long-term relationship with Pakistan. One of our largest embassies anywhere in the world is in Islamabad.”
Cameron also had to sidestep embarrassing questions over the Wikileaks files, in which President Karzai had questioned the effectiveness of British forces in the Helmand province.
The British PM shrugged off the comments as not relevant and referring to a time when his country’s troops were deployed too thinly across the region.
According to papers, Cameron wanted to visit Pakistan to try a patch up Pakistani leadership, after he had accused Pakistan of ‘facing both ways on terror’ during a visit to India – its mortal enemy.
However, the Pakistani Foreign Office in Islamabad described the news item as baseless, saying the British PM was expected to visit Pakistan soon for which the dates were being finalised. Government-owned APP said British Prime Minister David Cameron telephoned President Zardari on Wednesday night. The two leaders discussed bilateral matters as well as the situation in the region.
The Daily Mail said, “Cameron often tries to squeeze several countries into a single foreign visit, as the busy PM has to try and deal with the recession and cuts agenda at home. His last trip to the region ended with Mr Cameron causing great offence: first to Pakistan for casting doubt on its commitment to fighting terror, and second to Israel for criticising their treatment of the Palestinians while he was addressing Turkey, which is also a Muslim country.”
Later, at a press conference in the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Cameron failed to repeat his controversial remark that Pakistan faced ‘both ways on terror’, as he hailed its ‘progress’ in clearing up terrorism camps in the Swat valley.
Whitehall sources admitted, “They said the timing wasn’t great for them. They were not sure the prime minister would be there,” reported the Daily Mail.
The PM was questioned by Afghan media about how the British could use its influence with Islamabad to stop the radical Islamic schools.
He replied: “We do have a very long-term relationship with Pakistan. One of our largest embassies anywhere in the world is in Islamabad.”
Cameron also had to sidestep embarrassing questions over the Wikileaks files, in which President Karzai had questioned the effectiveness of British forces in the Helmand province.
The British PM shrugged off the comments as not relevant and referring to a time when his country’s troops were deployed too thinly across the region.