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Zardari snubs Cameron's invite to stay in mansion

August 05, 2010 12:10 IST

The tussle between British Prime Minister David Cameron and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari witnessed another twist with the latter rejecting Cameron's offer of hospitality.

According to reports, Zardari has turned downed an invitation to spend a night at the Buckinghamshire mansion citing his 'busy' schedule, however, he would be attending the dinner hosted by Cameron at his country retreat Chequers on Thursday.

The Pakistani president is slated to return back to his hotel following the dinner, and would again visit the Chequers on Friday (August 6) for a meeting with Cameron, who recently accused Islamabad of 'looking both ways' on terror.

Sources in the Pakistani diplomatic circles revealed that Zardari would use the meeting to highlight efforts being undertaken by Islamabad in the fight against extremism, the Mail Online reports.

Zardari has come under fire for continuing with his British trip, which many see as a 'political trip' to launch his son's Bilawal Bhutto's political career.

All opposition parties, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, have criticised Zardari for taking the London trip at a time when the country is struggling to cope with what is being described as its worst floods in 80 years that have killed over 1,300 people and left millions homeless.
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