PM Offers Pact to Stop Pakistan Exporting Terror

Gordon Brown confronted Pakistan yesterday on its record of exporting terrorism, disclosing that three quarters of serious plots investigated in the UK were connected to the country.

The prime minister arrived in Islamabad to announce that British police want to interview the surviving suspect in the Mumbai terror attacks as part of broader inquiries into the extremist group blamed for the atrocity, Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In private talks, he also questioned Pakistan's president, Ali Asif Zardari, over what action could be taken to eradicate training camps in Pakistan through which potential British suicide bombers have passed. Brown offered British assistance in tracing and shutting them down.

"Three quarters of the most serious plots investigated by the British authorities have links to al-Qaida in Pakistan. Our aim must be to work together to do everything in our power to cut off terrorism," the prime minister told a press conference in Islamabad.

In return he offered a new pact between the two countries to combat terrorism "to make sure terrorists are denied any safe haven in Pakistan". It would involve British help to Pakistan with training in bomb disposal, airport security, anti-car bomb measures and a £6m package to counteract radicalization and bolster democratic institutions in return for co-operation in the investigation.

The 7/7 bomber Mohammed Sidique Khan is among the terrorism suspects known to have traveled to Pakistan. Brown has spoken repeatedly in recent days of wanting to break a "chain of terror" leading from the region back to Europe.

Brown also held talks with the Indian prime minister, Mahoman Singh, and Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, on Friday and Saturday. The Indian government is concerned that while Pakistan has clamped down on Lashkar-e-Taiba in response to international outrage, in the past its action has fizzled out once international attention has faded.

Brown also passed on concerns from Karzai over terrorists infiltrating Afghanistan via the Pakistani border. The deaths of four Royal Marines last week, three in an incident involving a child bomber, has ensured Afghanistan cast a longer shadow than expected over the trip.

Brown said British police could attempt to pursue suspects in Pakistan as a result of their developing inquiries, adding he had asked the president if he would be prepared to allow that. Zardari however gave no guarantees yesterday.

Zardari insisted at a press conference in Islamabad yesterday that his government was co-operating with the investigation into the Mumbai attacks adding: "Terrorism and extremism is a common problem which requires collaborative efforts. Problems are not specific to one country."