Unfazed by an official protest lodged by Islamabad against his comments, Britain Monday said Prime Minister David Cameron stood by his remarks asking Pakistan to stop exporting terror and will not back away or apologise.
"He stands by his remarks," said a spokeswoman on the eve of President Asif Ali Zardari's official visit here.
"He (Cameron) was referring to elements within Pakistan supporting terrorism and not the Pakistan government," she said after the British High Commissioner in Islamabad Adam Thomson had been summoned by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Earlier, media reports here quoting Downing Street sources said that Cameron would not back away from his comments on Islamabad exporting terror as "he meant it".
Relations between London and Islamabad soured last week when Cameron while on an official visit to India said Pakistan could not be permitted to "look both ways" in promoting the export of terror, while publicly working for
stability in the region.
Cameron in public remarks in Bangalore had said "We cannot tolerate in any sense that this country (Pakistan) is allowed to look both ways and is able in any way to promote the export of terror."
His strong comments came after a massive US
intelligence leaks that alleged links between Pakistan's powerful ISI and Taliban terror group in Afghanistan.
The stand-off between the two countries came as Zardari arrived in Paris for a five-day difficult trip to Paris and London.
Zardari is scheduled to go ahead with his trip to Britain tomorrow and is scheduled to meet Cameron at his country residence Chequers on Friday, despite protests back home in Pakistan that he cancel the visit as done by ISI chief
Lt Gen Shuja Pasha.
The Pakistan government today summoned British High Commissioner to Islamabad giving him a dressing down over remarks made by Cameron.
"The sentiments of the government and the people of Pakistan on the remarks," were conveyed when the envoy met the Foreign Minister Qureshi, reports from Islamabad said.
During the meeting, Qureshi described terrorism as a global issue that has to be "dealt with by all countries in a spirit of cooperation, rather than putting the entire onus on any one country".
He said Pakistan was a victim of terrorism and "its efforts against violent extremism could not be negated".
Asked about British Prime minister standing by his comments, the Pakistan Information Minister Qamar Zaman told BBC, "I think this is very unfortunate," but insisted that Zardari would go ahead with his visit.
"The President is following a policy of interaction with the world," the minister said stressing that he was hopeful the Whitehall will change its perspective after Zardari briefs Cameron on the facts.