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Official: Spy chief visit to U.K. canceled over PM's remarks

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • ISI head was to visit Britain early in August
  • Cameron had warned Pakistan not to "export" terror
  • Pakistan has a troubled history with India

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's spy chief's planned visit to the United Kingdom has been canceled over tough remarks by the British prime minister about the country, a Pakistani military official confirmed Saturday.

Gen. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, the head of Inter-Services Intelligence, planned to visit Britain in early August to discuss security cooperation between the two countries. But the trip was scuttled after Cameron's comment in India that Pakistan shouldn't export terror.

"We want to see a strong and a stable and a democratic Pakistan," David Cameron said in Bangalore, India on Wednesday.

"But we cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is allowed to look both ways and is able in any way to promote the export of terror, whether to India or whether to Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world."

Video: Cameron calls out Pakistan
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"The relationship is important, but it should be a relationship based on a very clear message that it is not right ... to have any relationship with groups that are promoting terror. Democratic states that want to be part of the developed world cannot do that, and the message to Pakistan from the U.S. and from the U.K. is very clear on that point," he said.

The Pakistani military official, who asked not to be named because he was not supposed to talk to the media, criticized Cameron's remarks, especially since he was visiting India, Pakistan's longtime nuclear rival.

Cameron: We won't tolerate 'export of terror' by Pakistan

The prime minister "shouldn't have blamed Pakistan, especially on the land of our enemies. Now Pakistan should react strongly on Cameron's comments," the official said.

Britain's Foreign Office says it wouldn't comment on intelligence matters and wouldn't confirm that there had been an ISI visit next week. The Defense Ministry had no comment.

Pakistan has a troubled history with India, particularly over the disputed region of Kashmir, and in the past India has accused the ISI of supporting militant separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

CNN's Nasir Habib contributed to this report