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President Asif Ali Zardari is going ahead with his four-day official visit to Britain, starting from Aug 3, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in categorical terms on Friday. This belied a common speculation that the president might call off his trip to London in view of Pakistan-bashing by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his India visit. Babar told our sources that the president’s visit was on and his engagements in Britain would be held as planned.

Asked about the reported cancellation of the visit of the ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha to Britain, the spokesman said that the general was not accompanying the president in his visit. Pakistan dubbed Prime Minister Cameron’s remarks about its role in the anti-terror war as saddening and surprising.Babar said Zardari would address a function of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) but there would be no “launching” of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the party’s functional chairman. He said that Bilawal became the PPP chairman after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and continues to hold this office.

The spokesman said Zardari would first fly to France on a three-day official visit on Aug 1 for wide-ranging talks with the French leadership on bilateral, regional and global issues. It will be his second engagement with French leaders following his visit to Paris in May last year. The president will exchange views with the French leadership on expanding relations in financial, trade and industry, science and technology and cultural fields.

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