Pakistani spy chief scraps trip to Britain

Pakistan's spy chief has called off a trip to Britain in protest at Prime Minister David Cameron's remarks on its militant ties, as Islamabad is hit by a barrage of criticism of its alleged links to terror groups.

Senior intelligence officials, including the head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, would not go to London on Monday as planned for counter-terrorism talks.

"The visit has been cancelled in reaction to the comments made by the British prime minister against Pakistan," a spokesman for the ISI told The Times newspaper.

"Such irresponsible statements could affect our co-operation with Britain."

The daily also said Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was considering pulling out of next week's three-day trip to Britain over Cameron's remarks.

"Saddened" by remarks

Cameron, speaking in Pakistan's arch-rival India on Wednesday, told Islamabad that it must not become a base for militants and "promote the export of terror" across the globe.

A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman said this week his country had been "saddened" by Cameron's remarks. Pakistan is a key ally of the United States whose help is crucial for U.S. and Western efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan.

Cameron's remarks came days after classified U.S. military reports published on the whistleblower WikiLeaks website detailed U.S. concern that the ISI had aided Taliban militants while the Pakistani government was taking billions of dollars in U.S. aid.

This was not the first time Pakistan's alleged ties to al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, waging a nine-year war in neighboring Afghanistan, have been put in the spotlight in the past two weeks.

The visit has been cancelled in reaction to the comments made by the British prime minister against Pakistan

ISI Spokesman

Further annoyance

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a recent visit to Pakistan, said she believed al-Qaeda leaders were still hiding in Pakistan and that some elements in the Pakistani government knew where they were.

Cameron's remarks appear to have further annoyed Pakistan, which has launched a large-scale military offensive against al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in its northwestern provinces bordering Afghanistan.

The ISI spokesman said more than 2,500 Pakistani soldiers had been killed and more than 4,000 wounded in battles against militants since the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan in 2001.

More than 30,000 civilians have been killed or wounded in the same period, in addition to over 100 ISI officials, the spokesman added

Militant ties in spotlight

Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, said this week in a column in Britain's Guardian newspaper that Cameron had "damaged the prospects of regional peace".

Pakistan's neighbor India also accuses it of supporting militants operating on its soil and peace talks between the two countries have been deadlocked since 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

"He is new in government. Maybe he will learn soon and know how to handle things," Hasan also told the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Pakistan's economic losses have been estimated by the government at more than $68 billion since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and toppling of the Taliban regime there in 2001.

The Times said senior ISI officers had been due to discuss counter-terrorism co-operation with British security services in London.

The cancellation will raise "grave concerns" that Cameron may have jeopardized crucial military and intelligence co-operation with Pakistan in his bid to boost commercial ties with India, it added.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown said up to three-quarters of the terror plots under investigation in Britain were linked to Pakistan.

Cameron, asked by British broadcasters whether he regretted damaging relations with Pakistan ahead of the meeting, he said: "I don't accept that they have been damaged ... I look forward to discussing these and other issues (with Zardari)."

Neither the PM's Downing Street office nor the Foreign Office would comment on the reported move from the ISI.

But the Foreign Office said Zardari's visit was still expected to go ahead as planned.

He is new in government. Maybe he will learn soon and know how to handle things

Pakistani high commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan