Cameron remarks: Islamabad summons British envoy

LONDON - Islamabad Monday summoned Britain’s envoy to Pakistan over remarks on terrorism by Prime Minister David Cameron during his recent visit to India, the foreign office said.

The summons come on the eve of the five-day visit to Britain by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari who is under pressure from home to cancel the trip.

The foreign office, however, is yet to disclose the outcome of the meeting of the British envoy, Adam Thomson, with officials of Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

There has been outcry in Pakistan over what Cameron said about Pakistan in relation to terrorism.

Cameron had said: “We should be very, very clear with Pakistan that we want to see a strong, stable and democratic Pakistan. We cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is allowed to look both ways and is able, in any way, to promote the export of terror, whether to India or whether to Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world.”

Pakistan minister for information, Qamar Zaman Kaira, has been quoted by the British media as saying Zardari will correct Cameron’s “misperception” during his visit.

(Venkata Vemuri can be contacted at venkata.v@ians.in)