According to a US diplomatic cable leaked by the whistleblower website, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had pressed for sending Pasha to India following the attacks as Miliband “described ISI MG Pasha as a welcome ‘new broom’ and expressed UK support for ISI reform”.
“Zardari gave (British High Commissioner Robert) Brinkley a long answer about various levels of directors in ISI but finally confirmed that the Army had vetoed the decision to send Pasha,” the US diplomatic cable said.
The Pakistan President told Miliband that it might be possible to send National Security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani, as he outranked Pasha.
“It would not be possible, said Zardari, to send Pasha immediately as Zardari needed to work public opinion first,” said the cable written by then US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson to Washington five days after the Mumbai carnage that left over 160 persons including six Americans dead.
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