Protest over expelled journalists

The bid to placate critics came as demonstrations continued in the troubled country and relations with Britain and America appeared to deteriorate.

The Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday morning that it had lodged a formal protest with Islamabad after three British journalists were expelled from Pakistan.

Isambard Wilkinson, Colin Freeman and Damien McElroy - who work for the Telegraph Group - were ordered to leave following accusations that coverage had been "derogatory" towards General Musharraf.

The focus of the row was a leading article which appeared in the Daily Telegraph on Friday, and suggested that Western powers had previously regarded General Musharraf as "our sonofab****". "Valued as an ally after 9/11, he is now part of the problem," it stated.

Both the UK and the US have been gradually hardening their criticism of the Pakistan regime since General Musharraf declared a state of emergency last Saturday.

Thousands of protesters, including lawyers and activists from opposition parties, have been arrested under what amounts to marshal law. Gen Musharraf is widely believed to have taken the drastic action to prevent the courts from ruling that he could not serve as President and head of the army simultaneously.

However, he seemed to bow to pressure by announcing that he wanted elections held before January 9, and promising that political leaders who had been detained would be freed. The Pakistani leader gave no date for when he intends to step down as head of the army, or when emergency rule would be brought to an end.

The Foreign Office confirmed that the three British journalists were on their way home, adding: "The High Commissioner has made a strong protest to Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri, making it clear that there is no justification for the expulsion of these journalists.

"We believe media freedom is essential to economic and social development and stability, and actively support the development of a free and fair press in Pakistan."