30 Jul 2010

Cameron defends comments on Pakistan

6:19 pm on 30 July 2010

British Prime Minister David Cameron is defending critical remarks he made about Pakistan, saying it is his duty to speak frankly and clearly.

Mr Cameron says he has not damaged the relationship with Pakistan by accusing some elements of promoting the export of terrorism.

At a news conference in India, he said no one was in "any doubt" there were terrorist groups operating in Pakistan. The Pakistan government had made real progress, he said, but must do more to "crack down on and eliminate" them.

Leaked US documents published on the Wikileaks website accuse Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence agency of secretly helping the insurgency in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's High Commissioner in London says his government is deeply disappointed Mr Cameron had chosen to ignore Pakistan's enormous role in the war on terror.