Blair flies into Pakistan

Tony Blair was due to arrive in Pakistan today, a day after a British man who had spent 18 years on death row in the country was freed.

The British High Commission said the Prime Minister had nothing on his agenda for today, but would meet Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz tomorrow.

On his third visit to Pakistan, Blair was also due to meet Islamic chiefs on interfaith harmony.

Islamabad’s continued cooperation in cracking down on cross-border infiltration by Taliban militants is seen as critical for the success of US and Nato military operations in Afghanistan.

“The visit signifies the growing partnership between Pakistan and United Kingdom,” said a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

No details were released on the exact time of Blair’s arrival due to security concerns.

Blair’s visit follows Musharraf’s trip to Britain in September and a five-day tour of Pakistan last month by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

During that visit, Charles is said to have appealed to Musharraf to commute the death sentence of Mirza Tahir Hussain, the Briton sentenced to death for murdering a Pakistani taxi driver.

Blair too recently urged Musharraf to prevent Hussain’s execution, saying it would be “very serious” if the execution went ahead.

On Wednesday, Musharraf ordered Hussain’s death sentence commuted to life behind bars, and on Thursday he was released from the high-security Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.

Hussain, from Leeds, arrived back at Heathrow Airport last night.