All Pakistan Blog

According to the cable, President Asif Ali Zardari was urged by a US official not to agree to Iran’s concessional oil offer as it would be providing Iran with a foothold in Pakistan.

The cable filed on October 22, 2008 by former US ambassador Anne Patterson revealed that Zardari told US Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher that Iran’s proposal was an offer he could not refuse but Boucher reminded him of the Deputy Secretary’s caution of not allowing Iran to gain presence in Pakistan.

The meeting between the two officials took place at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on October 18 where the president expressed reluctance upon Boucher’s request to turn down Iran’s offer. He was concerned that how could he go to the National Assembly and tell them Iran had offered the assistance and Pakistan has refused it.

In another cable filed on May 26, 2009, a Congress delegation also met President Zardari and reminded him of the US caution but the President said that Pakistan is desperately seeking new energy resources to fulfill its need but no other country is ready to help except Saudia Arabia.

The plan, which would be activated without President Asif Ali Zardari's consent, provoked an angry reaction from Pakistan officials last night. Barack Obama would order troops to parachute in to protect key nuclear missile sites. These include the air force's central Sargodha HQ, home base for nuclear-capable F-16 combat aircraft and at least 80 ballistic missiles.

A US source told the Sunday Express: "The plan is green lit and the president has already shown he is wiling to deploy troops in Pakistan if he feels it is important for national security." However, news of the plan has further increased tension between the US and Pakistan with relations already at an all-time low after the Operation Geronimo raid by the US Navy Seal special forces team that killed bin Laden at the house where he had been hiding in Abbottabad, near to a Pakistan military academy. 

An angry Pakistani official said: "Pakistan has an elaborate command and control structure and is fully capable of defending its strategic assets under any circumstances and does not need any assistance from any country, including the US, to safeguard its nuclear installations."

The plan reflects growing concern over reprisals for the al-Qaeda terror leader's death. More than 80 people were killed and 140 injured when two Taliban suicide bombers struck at a military academy in the north-western town of Charsadda on Friday.

Alex Neill, of the Royal United Services Institute, said: "The United States places its own national security issues above all other sovereignty issues and trust in Pakistan's abilities are extremely low."

"If Obama can persuade congress that placing US troops at the installations is necessary to protect US citizens from possible nuclear attack, then that's what he will do." The Pentagon on Saturday refused to deny the existence of the plan, with a spokesman saying only: "We are confident that Pakistan has taken appropriate steps towards securing its nuclear arsenal."

In his first trip to Pakistan since taking office in May 2010, the premier hopes to soothe tensions caused by his remarks during a visit to India last July, according to a pre-released extract of his speech.

The British leader touched down at the Pakistan Air Force base of Chaklala in the garrison city of Rawalpindi at around 6:30 am (0130 GMT) ahead of a packed day of talks in Islamabad.

"Let's make this the start of a new era in the relations between our countries, our governments, our peoples."

"Let's clear up the misunderstandings of the past, work through the tensions of the present and look together to the opportunities of the future."

During a trade visit to the Indian city of Bangalore in July last year, Cameron said Pakistan could not be allowed to "look both ways", promoting the export of terror while publicly working for stability in the region.

British officials said the comments were not directed at the Pakistan government, but Islamabad summoned Britain's representative for clarification.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari visited London the following month, and the two leaders insisted their relations were "unbreakable" and promised to intensify intelligence sharing between the two countries.

Cameron will repeat this Tuesday, saying: "The unbreakable partnership must not just be between our two governments. It must be between our peoples too."

He adds: "We want a strong relationship with a secure, prosperous, open and flourishing Pakistan. We want that relationship for the long-term. We want to work to strengthen that relationship, now and in the future."

Cameron will meet Zardari during his one-day visit and also hold talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, officials said.

He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, John Sawers, and the head of the British military, Chief of the Defence Staff David Richards.

The talks come amid the backdrop of an upsurge of violence in neighboring Afghanistan, where violent protests against the burning of a Koran by a US pastor have killed at least 22 people, including seven foreign UN staff.

Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan as part of an international coalition fighting Taliban insurgents, but Cameron has said he wants all British combat soldiers to be out of the country by 2015.

On his way to Pakistan, Cameron made a surprise visit Monday to the base in Gioia del Colle, southern Italy, from where British jets enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya are operating, and announced four more jets for the mission.

He said Britain would deploy the new Tornados "in the next couple of days" to boost the NATO-led mission designed to protect civilians from forces loyal to Moamer Kadhafi who are fighting to put down an eastern revolt.

In his first trip to the base since the operation, Cameron said the British jets had saved "literally thousands of lives" in Libya.