Brown 'praises Musharraf's role against terrorism'
Afp, Islamabad
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown telephoned President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday to praise his efforts to curb militancy and terrorism, a senior Pakistani official said. It was Brown's first contact with the Pakistani military ruler, a key ally in international attempts to tackle extremism, since taking over from Tony Blair on June 27. "The British Prime Minister appreciated President Musharraf's key role in the fight against militancy and terrorism and promised to maintain close ties between the two countries," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The two leaders also discussed "long-standing bilateral ties between the two allies and agreed to further strengthen them," he said.
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Pakistani commuters ride past an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) after a curfew was relaxed in the vicinity of the Red Mosque in Islamabad yesterday. The leader of a radical Pakistani mosque was arrested while trying to flee in a woman's burqa as security forces stepped up pressure on a few hundred hardcore followers still holed up inside. PHOTO: AFP |
