Hoon aims to calm tension

The British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has arrived in Islamabad, on the second leg of his regional tour.

He is due to hold talks with President Musharraf and other senior officials.

Correspondents say the tense relations between India and Pakistan are expected to feature high in the talks.

India and Pakistan have massed a million troops on their common border since an attack on the Indian parliament in mid December.

Delhi blames Pakistan-based Islamic extremists for the attack.

Mr Hoon will later on Wednesday travel to India, where he's due to meet India's Defence Minister George Fernandes and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Mr Hoon arrived in Islamabad from Afghanistan, where he met President Hamid Karzai, Defence Minister Mohammed Fahim and the UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Lahkdar Brahimi.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service