Straw tells Britons: Get out of Pakistan

Most British diplomats are to be evacuated from Pakistan as the nation lurches closer to war with India in the deepening crisis over Kashmir.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, announced the emergency plans after receiving a "specific" terrorist threat, and appealed to all Britons to leave Pakistan.

Although Mr Straw insisted the announcement was not directly linked to the acrimonious stand-off between the nuclear neighbours, the Government made plain its alarm over the apparent slide towards war.

Tony Blair told MPs in the Commons: "This is indeed a very serious and grave situation and it cannot be stressed enough the dangers inherent in this situation where India and Pakistan are presently confronting each other."

The decision to scale back Britain's official presence in Pakistan was made amid alarm among ministers over the number of al-Qa'ida sympathisers in the country, many of whom have slipped across its porous border with Afghanistan. The country is also home to several other terrorist groups suspected of a series of attacks on Westerners.