ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed, the parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the Senate, has criticised President Pervez Musharraf for meeting Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the senator termed the meeting a violation of Pakistan`s principled position and said it damaged the country`s image in the Arab and Islamic world.

The statement said “It is deplorable that President Musharraf invited Israeli minister to his hotel room in Paris where they held an hour-long meeting reportedly over Iran`s nuclear programme, among other things.”