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Pakistan summons UK envoy following dispute

Updated: 2010-08-03 13:53

 

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Pakistan summoned the top British official in the country on Monday amid a diplomatic spat over comments by Britain's leader suggesting the South Asian nation exports terrorism.

British Prime Minister David Cameron's comments last week were amplified by the fact that he made them while visiting Pakistan's nuclear rival, India. The two countries have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain over 60 years ago.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Britain’s High Commissioner Adam Thomson "that terrorism was a global issue and had to be dealt with by all countries in a spirit of cooperation, rather than putting the entire onus on any one country."

Cameron, who took office in May, said last week that Pakistan must not be allowed to "promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world."

The remarks outraged Pakistani officials. Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's ambassador to Britain, called the comments "an immature reaction from an immature politician."

Britain's Foreign Office confirmed that Thomson and Qureshi discussed Cameron's comments on Monday.

But the British prime minister has no plans to back down from his remarks, said a spokeswoman for Cameron's Downing Street office, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with policy.

Pakistan insists that it has done more than any other country to combat terrorism, sending the army to fight Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants within its borders and cooperating closely with Western intelligence agencies.

But its spy agency has long been accused of secretly aiding Afghanistan's Taliban and other Islamist militants.

The diplomatic row prompted Pakistan's powerful spy chief, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, to call off a trip to London planned for this week.

But Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari ignored domestic calls for him to cancel his trip to meet Cameron in Britain, also later this week.

The British prime minister planned to discuss his remarks when he meets with Zardari on Friday at Chequers, Cameron's residence northwest of London, said his spokeswoman.

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（中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.