Cameron defends remarks, as Pak says it’s 'saddened'

Islamabad:Rattled by a broadside fired by British PM David Cameron on its hidden role in fanning international terrorism, Pakistan said Thursday it was "saddened" by his remarks. It also added that these remarks did not reflect ground realities. In turn, the young, freshly sworn in UK premier, said it was "important to speak frankly" and while Pakistan had "made progress... we need them to do more".

UK PM David Cameron being ceremoniously received in New Delhi

Cameron is currently on a two-day state visit to India on a mission that he describes as a major initiative to revive a lacklustre relationship with one of the emerging powers of the world.

As for Pakistan, it is routinely described as a ''key'' ally of the United States and the Western countries in their war against terror that is being waged primarily on the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, the tribal homelands of Pakistan as well as around the world.

Cameron's startling remarks, made on Wednesday before an audience of employees of Indian IT major Infosys Technologies at their Bangalore campus, also come just days before an expected visit to the UK by Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari.

In his remarks before the Bangalore audience Cameron said, ''We cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country (Pakistan) is allowed to look both ways and is able to promote the export of terror, whether to India or Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world.''

His remarks suggested that Cameron had the explosive revelations of around 90,000 pages of highly secret war reports from Afghanistan in mind leaked into the public domain this week, though he did not mention them. About 180 of those documents, dated between 2004 and 2009, clearly suggest a strong nexus between Pakistan and a spate of attacks on international coalition forces and Indian assets in Afghanistan, including its embassy in Kabul.