ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: Pakistan on Monday took exception to British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s remarks he had made in the context of Kashmir at a joint press conference with US President George Bush in London last week.

Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said that Mr Blair was “imprudent” and “ill-advised” while condemning the alleged terrorism in the context of Kashmir and self-determination.

He said it caused anger in Pakistan, Kashmir and the Kashmiri diaspora, and brought back the bitter memories and feelings among them since it was the British government which, in 1947 and 1948, blocked their right to self-determination.

Replying to a question, he said the British government had made no response to Pakistan’s ‘de marche’ earlier this month against the bugging of the Pakistan chancery and embassy in London. “This silence and reticence is not good enough,” he said.

Pakistan demanded that the British government answer simple questions whether the bugging took place, if so, was it authorized by the home minister or was it a rogue act of a secret service, he said.

He said the British government should come clean on this issue which could not be pushed under the carpet.

The spokesman said that it was Pakistan’s understanding that India would participate in the next Saarc summit in Islamabad early next January though the formal confirmations from Delhi as well as Bhutan and the Maldives, were still awaited.

The issue of associating some other regional countries which had expressed interest in joining the seven-nation regional grouping, was not likely to be decided at the summit, Mr Khan indicated and said the primary concern was to make the organization “active and vibrant”.