Pakistan facing mortal threat from its internal enemies: British Foreign Minister

London, Mar 6 (ANI): Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Friday said that Pakistan was facing a mortal threat from its internal enemies.

"Pakistan is facing a mortal threat from its internal enemies. This is a very grave situation and it is intimately linked to the situation in Afghanistan. It's getting worse in a number of respects. The tempo of terrorist attacks has risen and the combination of political uncertainty, economic decline and the security side mean that this is a particularly challenging time for Pak government," The Dawn quoted Miliband, as saying.

Miliband's this statement came after the terrorists attack on Sri Lankan cricket players this week.

"It is now vital that rival democratic forces unite to combat the 'very grave' security situation, he added.

The British Foreign Secretary also asked the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the opposition, to unite together to fight against the terrorism.

"The degree of political disunity that exists at the moment is only contributing to the problem," he added.

Miliband, however denied the claims that the previous government headed by Pervez Musharraf had been more successful in confronting terrorists, saying: "a military rule cannot hold the line if it loses the confidence of its people and I think that is what had happened, especially in the later years of President Musharraf's rule.

The British Minister appealed Pakistan to dismantle the terror infrastructure on its soil.

"Lashkar-e-Taiba has got deep roots. It's got welfare organizations and schools that it runs. One of the issues that I have been raising in my four visits to Pakistan is the need for central and local governments in Pakistan to work to replace those Lashkar-e-Taiba," he said. (ANI)