ISI chief was not scheduled to visit London: Gilani

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has rubbished media reports that Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha’s visit to London last week was cancelled in the wake of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘terror export’ tirade against Islamabad.

Gilani told reporters here that no such visit of the ISI chief to London was planned.

“No high-profile visit of the ISI was scheduled for the UK. Had there been any scheduled high-profile visit of the ISI, I would have been informed about it,” The Dawn quoted Gilani, as saying.

It worth mentioning here that during his India visit last month, Cameron had accused Islamabad of ‘looking both sides’ in receiving billions of dollars in aid from Western nations while continuing to “promote the export of terror.”

Following Cameron’s jibe, reports appeared in the media that Pasha, who was due to visit London alongwith President Asif Ali Zardari, had cancelled his trip in protest.

Responding to questions regarding Zardari’s decision to continue with his foreign trip despite the country reeling under devastating floods, Gilani said the tour was planned six months ago.

“Mr Zardari is a personality who is always remembered. He would have been remembered and criticised even if there were no floods in the country,” he added.

Gilani stressed that Zardari’s visit has not affected the relief and rescue work in the flood hit north-western part of the country.

“I am the chief executive of the country, I am here and my whole cabinet is here to supervise the relief operation, which is our responsibility and not the president’s,” he said. (ANI)