Pakistan's President visits Downing Street, protests

Описание: (6 Dec 2004) SHOTLIST

POOL
1. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie standing outside 10 Downing Street, pan to Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf, and his wife approaching and shaking hands with Blairs, posing for photographers and entering building

APTN
2. Various of protesters outside Downing Street - Green flags are pro-Kashmir, Orange flags are Islamic fundamentalists

STORYLINE

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf, met in London on Monday for talks that were expected to be dominated by the fight against terrorism and the search for peace in the Middle East.

Pakistan is a key ally in the US-led war on terror and Musharraf won praise in Washington last week from US President George W. Bush for his cooperation in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

But bin Laden's trail appears to have gone cold, and the efforts to find the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks and stabilise the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan - where he's believed to be hiding - are on the agenda for the meeting at Blair's Downing Street office, officials said.

Blair and Musharraf are also expected to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The issue is Britain's foreign policy priority and Blair has said it is "the single most pressing political challenge in our world today".

At the White House on Saturday, Musharraf said resolving the dispute is "the most important issue ... in the interest of peace in the whole world".

It was unclear whether Blair would raise one area of concern - Musharraf's backtracking on a pledge to relinquish his military post by the end of the year.

The general seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, and Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth's decision-making councils.

It was readmitted in May, in recognition of democratic reforms and Musharraf's pledge to stand down as head of the army by December 31.

But a few weeks ago, he indicated he might renege on that promise and Parliament passed a bill last month allowing him to remain head of state and army chief beyond the end of 2004.

Blair and Musharraf will also discuss the recent thaw in relations between Pakistan and India, the forthcoming elections in Iraq, United Nations reform and a host of bilateral issues including trade, officials said.

Outside Blair's residence in Downing Street, two groups of protesters greeted Musharraf - pro-Kashmiris waving green flags and Islamic fundamentalists brandishing orange flags.

Musharraf is accompanied on his three-day visit by Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri, Pakistani Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan and Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

He's scheduled to address the Pakistani community in London and the northern city of Manchester, speak with lawmakers in the House of Commons and give a speech to the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

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