Pakistan expels two British journalists

A writer and a photographer for The Sunday Telegraph have been deported by Pakistan.

The newspaper claims its reporter Christina Lamb had uncovered evidence of a covert operation by rogue elements in Pakistan's military intelligence service to smuggle arms to the Taliban.

Ms Lamb, a foreign correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph, was deported with the photographer Justin Sutcliffe. She was woken in her hotel room in the border town of Quetta in the early hours by seven officers from the Pakistani security services, and detained for 24 hours before being taken to Islamabad and put on a flight to London.

Her claim to have been on the trail of evidence linking elements of the ISI, Pakistan's military intelligence service, to the Taliban, and Pakistan's rapid decision to deport her, are embarrassing for the British and US governments, which have nurtured Pakistan's role in the coalition.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has expressed concern and asked Pakistan's foreign minister to delay the expulsions to allow time for representation. But his request came too late. Mr Straw said: "It is a matter of concern that they were not given such an opportunity."

The Pakistani authorities claimed the two journalists had been "acting in a manner prejudicial to the external affairs and security of Pakistan".

Dominic Lawson, the editor of The Sunday Telegraph, said: "We have been given no reason for the deportations beyond the vaguest generalities. Christina was simply carrying out her duties as a journalist."