Pakistan’s Prime Minister yesterday hit back at remarks by his British counterpart, David Cameron, linking the country to the export of terror.
Yousaf Raza Gilani, the normally conciliatory Premier, used a speech to make Islamabad’s most high-level response so far to Cameron’s comments in India.
Reports suggest an official from the British High Commission in Islamabad, possibly the deputy chief of mission, will be summoned by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a formal dressing down.
Gilani’s intervention follows the abrupt cancellation by Pakistan’s spy chief, General Shuja Pasha, of a planned visit to the UK for talks with his British counter-terrorism counterparts.
Co-operation from the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, headed by Pasha – which was accused of aiding the Taleban in the Afghan war logs published last week by WikiLeaks – had previously been presented as being crucial to stopping numerous terrorist plots aimed against Britain.
There are fears that a long-planned visit to the UK this week by Pakistan’s President, Asif Zardari, could be overshadowed by growing anger at Cameron’s remarks among the one million people of Pakistani origin living in Britain.
Media outlets in Pakistan are urging the President to cancel the trip.
There is particular anger that Cameron made the comments during a trip to India. Gilani focused on this issue in yesterday’s speech in the Punjab province. “In India, he [Cameron] has given a statement that we in Pakistan promote terrorism,” he said. “We want to say to him, we’ve had good relations with you for 60 years.”
He contrasted the issue raised by Cameron with the situation in Kashmir, the Himalayan region mostly held by India, which has been in open rebellion for 20 years.
“In India, you [Cameron] talk about terrorism but you don’t say anything about Kashmir. You forgot about the human rights abuses going on there.”
While Pakistan has frequently been asked to “do more” in the battle against extremists, Cameron’s remarks are seen in Pakistan as going further than any Western leader before in criticising the country’s record and commitment.
An editorial in Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English-language daily, said: “No one, with the exception perhaps of New Delhi and Kabul, had ever accused Pakistan of exporting terrorism. In doing so, was Mr Cameron attempting to bracket Pakistan with countries that have been or still are anathema to the West?”
An officer at the ISI said: “You can sit in England and say what you want to, but sitting in India gives it a completely different connotation.”
A senior Pakistani civilian official said: “Cameron’s remarks show a political immaturity, lack of foreign policy experience and talk about choosing a bad venue to deliver the message … Being the youngest British Prime Minister in two centuries isn’t necessarily an advantage.”
The Cameron intervention came as Pakistan was reeling from the disclosures in the leaked US intelligence documents that were made public by WikiLeaks, the whistle-blower website. The apparent evidence of ISI collusion with the Taleban from the WikiLeaks material had already been seized upon with glee by Indian officials, as confirmation of New Delhi’s charge that the Pakistani state sponsors terrorism.
In Britain, former Foreign Secretary and now Opposition Labour Party spokesman David Miliband said: “Diplomacy is about making friends and influencing them.
“Today’s announcement by the ISI sadly proves that Cameron has failed to make friends and failed to influence them.
“We need to support Pakistan’s intelligence services, not undermine them.”
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