Pakistan signs 'tug-of-love' accord

English judges visiting Islamabad have signed an agreement with their Pakistani counterparts to try to protect children at the centre of international custody disputes between estranged parents.

The judges agreed they would ensure any child involved in such a row would be returned to the country where the courts had passed a verdict or were considering the matter.

Correspondents say there have been a number of cases in England where one of the parents involved in a custody dispute has brought their child to Pakistan, then refused to take him or her back.

The senior English judge in the visiting delegation, Dame Elizabeth Butler Schloss, said the agreement, signed on Tuesday, would also help children at the centre of custody disputes in Britain to get permission to travel to Pakistan for a visit.