Pakistan has begun debugging its High Commission in London and has accused Britain of refusing to confirm or deny media reports that its intelligence agents were involved in a bungled spy operation there.
"We have to take all steps for debugging," foreign minister Mr Khursheed Kasuri told a news conference in Islamabad. "That's the first step we will take. We have already dispatched people. They are already in Britain."
Mr Kasuri, who was in England on a state visit shortly after the alleged undercover operation was first reported by newspapers, said he was confident that Pakistan and Britain will maintain their close relations.
But he also said he was determined find a way around the excuse that British officials were giving for their no-comment approach: that British law prevents the government from ever commenting on intelligence matters.
"Our relationship with Britain is excellent, but we want Britain to give us a positive explanation," he said.
On November 2nd, the Sunday Timesreported MI5 had botched an effort to spy on the London embassy of one its allies in the global war on terrorism. The original report did not identify the embassy.
However, the newspaper later quoted an unidentified Pakistani Foreign Ministry official as saying: "We know it was ours."
During his visit to England on November 3rd-4th, Mr Kasuri met British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw and other officials.
The Sunday Timessaid a construction worker renovating the building volunteered to bug the offices for MI5, then arranged for agents to have access. Afterwards, MI5 infiltrated the embassy, planted listening devices and removed documents, the report claimed.
The construction worker reportedly confessed about his role because he feared he was in danger.
PA