Pakistan’s intelligence agency has cancelled a planned visit to the UK in protest at David Cameron’s comments criticising the country over its stance on terrorism.

The British prime minister warned Pakistan over what he called ‘the export of terror’ during a visit to India.

Pakistani sources have reportedly confirmed a report in The Times saying that senior intelligence officials had pulled out of a trip to London to discuss counter-terrorism.

They have described as “irresponsible” Cameron’s remarks in Bangalore on Wednesday.

The PM said: “We cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country (Pakistan) 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.”

A visit to Britain by Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari is still due to go ahead.

But government officials have reacted angrily, saying thousands of Pakistani lives have been lost fighting terrorism.

David Cameron has defended his comments. Acknowledging that the Pakistan government had made progress, he said there was no doubt that terror groups still operated in the country.

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