America threatens to severe relations

WASHINGTON (Agencies) - US President Barack Obamas national security adviser threatened to expel Pakistans ambassador unless a US official, Raymond Davis, arrested in Lahore was not released by Friday, a report said. Citing two Pakistani officials, ABC News said National Security Adviser Tom Donilon made the threat after summoning Husain Haqqani to the White House. He reportedly warned US consulates in Pakistan may be closed and President Asif Ali Zardaris upcoming visit to Washington could be cancelled if the US official Raymond Davis, whom Lahore police say committed murder, was not freed. ABC News said a senior US official confirmed the details, but Haqqani and the US embassy in Islamabad denied the report. While the US side has let its position be known to us, at no stage has any threat been made to me by any US official at any level and our dialogue continues, Haqqani told a news agency on telephone. The US and Pakistan remain partners and we look forward to resolving the Raymond Davis case in accordance with international and Pakistani law and in the spirit of our countries friendship. On Twitter, Haqqani said: No US official, incl the NSA, has conveyed any personal threats 2 me or spoken of extreme measures. Courtney Beale, spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad, said: ABC News carried a story regarding a conversation in Washington between senior US and Pakistani officials. Although we are unable to discuss the substance of a private diplomatic meeting, US embassy Islamabad can state categorically that the description of the conversation in this report is simply inaccurate. Meanwhile, a meeting scheduled this month between Pakistani, Afghan and US officials in Washington is in doubt as a rift grows between Islamabad and Washington over Davis. The Afghan embassy in Washington said Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasul and other ministers would attend the meeting as scheduled from Feb 23-25, and the US State Department indicated this week that planning continued for the gathering. However, a Pakistani diplomatic source said no decision had been made about whether the US-Afghan-Pakistan meeting would go ahead or whether it would be cancelled.

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