LONDON, Oct 12: As US-led operation against terrorism continues, Pakistan has come under the spotlight of British media. The amount of coverage Pakistan is getting is unprecedented. Each and every day, leading British newspapers bring out several stories about anti-US demonstrations in Quetta and other cities of Pakistan. Almost all reports describe Pakistan’s support to the US-led action as crucial, and the tone of the press is extremely friendly.

The Times, in its key article on Thursday, has described Pakistan’s support to the US-led operation as pivotal, praising Pakistan as “re-entering the fold of civilized world”. The paper has paid tribute to Gen Musharraf for taking drastic actions, arresting three leaders of leading Islamic political parties.

But the London edition of the International Tribune, in one of its reports, hints on “signs of strain” in the US -Pakistan alliance after the start of air attacks on Afghanistan. The paper says “the contradiction by the White House of a statement by the Pakistan government that it has received assurances that the action in Afghanistan would be short is the first sign of strain in the delicate relationship between the two countries.”

The Guardian has published a picture of a masked Pakistan policeman protecting the US embassy in Islamabad, a clear sign of the anti-American feelings in Pakistan. But the Financial Times has a slightly different view. It says that the western diplomats in Islamabad are taking a sigh of relief over what is seen as a relatively manageable reaction by Pakistan’s Islamic groups to the US-led strikes on Afghanistan.

The tabloid paper Mirror, in its Thursday edition has an interview with Tehrik -i-Insaf Pakistan leader Imran Khan, who has been quoted as saying: “Emerging situation in the region has left Pakistan President Gen Musharraf with no choice but to join the alliance.”