UK reporting trio leave Pakistan

Pakistan has been under a state of emergency for a week

Three Telegraph newspaper group reporters are on their way back to the UK after being expelled from Pakistan.

Islamabad claimed their coverage of the country's state of emergency was offensive and ordered them to leave.

President Pervez Musharraf said an expletive in an editorial "shocked" him and meant Isambard Wilkinson, Colin Freeman and Damien McElroy must leave.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan said there was "no justification" for the expulsions.

'Really shocked'

The editorial at the centre of the controversy was critical of the West's relations with General Musharraf, and used a quote containing an expletive to describe the key ally in the so-called "war on terror".

When questioned about the expulsions at a news conference, the president said he was "really shocked" by the language used.

"Would you accept a word of that sort if I was to use it, if any one of my reporters were to use [it] against your president?" he asked.

He said he expected the Telegraph to apologise to him.

For a newspaper of the Daily Telegraph's reputation to resort to such derogatory language is highly regrettable Imran Gardezi Pakistan High Commission

The article, carried on the Telegraph website, prompted a response from the press officer of the Pakistan embassy in London on Friday.

The editorial, which was titled Bankrupt Relationship, described Gen Musharraf's rule as a "combination of incompetence and brutality".

A comment beneath the editorial from Imran Gardezi at the Pakistan High Commission said: "The language used for the President of Pakistan in your leading article is offensive and flouts the norms of decent journalism.

"For a newspaper of the Daily Telegraph's reputation to resort to such derogatory language is highly regrettable.

"This deserves an apology."

Media blackout

Commenting on the expulsions, the Foreign Office said: "The High Commissioner has made a strong protest to Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, making it clear that there is no justification for the expulsion of these journalists.

"We believe media freedom is essential to economic and social development and stability, and actively support the development of a free and fair press in Pakistan."

The declaration of emergency rule was blamed on militant violence.

Under the state of emergency, the Pakistani constitution has been suspended, while opposition supporters have been arrested, Supreme Court justices replaced, and mass public gatherings banned.

A media blackout is still in force. International channels like the BBC and CNN were allowed back on air on Thursday, but have since been blocked.

President Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday that he hoped new parliamentary elections could be held by 9 January.

Reporters Without Borders, a group which campaigns for press freedom, criticised General Musharraf over the expulsion.

"Gen Musharraf is demonstrating a disturbing degree of authoritarianism and behaving like an all-out press freedom predator," it said.