Pakistan president's visit to UK criticised

 

It is unclear how far the two leaders can patch up their relationship.

Prime Minister David Cameron and President Zardari of Pakistan will try to patch up their differences during formal talks at Chequers later.

They will try to smooth tensions after the PM's recent comments that elements in Pakistan promoted terrorism.
On Thursday night, Mr Zardari was Mr Cameron's guest at a private dinner at the country residence.
Topics for discussion will include counter-terrorism co-operation, the Nato campaign in Afghanistan and trade.
The prime minister caused anger in Pakistan last week when during a trip to India, he said elements in Pakistan should not be allowed to "promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world".
Mr Cameron continues to stand by his comments but Mr Zardari said he would personally challenge him over the remarks during his visit.
On Tuesday, Mr Zardari told French newspaper Le Monde the battle for the hearts and minds of ordinary Afghan people had already been lost.
He is also under intense pressure to show he can talk tough to the British prime minister and justify his absence from his country, at a time when devastating floods have caused a national tragedy.

 

Pakistan president's visit to UK criticised

Some believe President Zardari should have stayed in Pakistan

Pakistan's president has arrived in Britain amid a row over comments made about the country's role in terrorism by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Ahead of his arrival, Mr Cameron again defended his claim that Pakistan must not "promote the export of terror".
President Asif Ali Zardari has also been criticised for making his UK trip while Pakistan is facing severe floods.
Ahead of his visit he told Le Monde the international community was losing the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the French newspaper, he said coalition forces had "underestimated" the situation on the ground.
Meanwhile, aid organisation Unicef says the death toll from the worst flooding to hit Pakistan in 80 years is at least 1,400, with up to three million people affected.
Mr Cameron made his controversial remarks during a visit to India last week. He said of Pakistan that the world could not "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".

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That led to an effigy of the British PM being burned in the street in Karachi, and to Pakistani intelligence officials cancelling a visit to the UK in protest.
In a phone-in with BBC West Midlands on Tuesday, Mr Cameron defended his remarks and insisted the UK-Pakistan relationship was "strong".
"But there has been and still is a problem of terror groups in Pakistan that threaten other countries," he said. "[They] also threaten our troops in Afghanistan, threaten India and threaten us in the UK, and they need to be dealt with.
"As I said in India, to be fair to the Pakistan government they have done more recently to combat these terror groups, but they need to go on doing even more, and we should be working with them in order to encourage them to do that."
President Zardari pledged to speak to Mr Cameron on Friday about the prime minister's remarks.
He told Le Monde: "The war against terrorism must unite us and not oppose us. I will explain face to face that it is my country that is paying the highest price in human life for this war."
President Zardari is due to meet several UK politicians with Pakistani links on Thursday, but two - Khalid Mahmood and Lord Ahmed - have refused the invitation.