The Pakistani government has summoned Britain's high commissioner to Islamabad amid a diplomatic storm over David Cameron's comments about Pakistani attitudes to terrorism.

Adam Thomson was called in by the Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in what was seen as a dressing down after Cameron infuriated Pakistan with his remarks while visiting India.

"The foreign minister emphasised that terrorism was a global issue and had to be dealt with by all countries in a spirit of co-operation, rather than putting the entire onus on any one country," the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.

"He said Pakistan was itself a victim of terrorism and its efforts against violent extremism could not be negated."

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that the British high commissioner to Pakistan is meeting this morning with the foreign minister, at the request of the ministry of foreign affairs."

With the row threatening to overshadow an official visit to the UK by Pakistan's president, Asif Zardari, Downing Street said the prime minister would not apologise for his remarks but would absolve the Pakistan government of any blame for promoting extremism and violence.

Opposition parties in the country have demanded that the trip be cancelled. Pakistan's powerful military establishment has already demonstrated its anger by cancelling a visit by a delegation of intelligence officials to the UK.

Protesters burnt an effigy of the prime minister in the streets of Karachi.

Zardari – who arrives in Britain tomorrow – will "forcefully take up" the remarks when he meets Cameron, according to Pakistan's information minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira. Attention is most likely to be focused on a session with the prime minister at Chequers on Friday.

Cameron started the furore last week when he said Pakistan could no longer "look both ways" by tolerating terrorism while demanding respect as a democracy.

Pakistan's military was particularly incensed that Cameron chose to make his comments in India, Pakistan's traditional rival. Amid fears that security co-operation between Britain and Pakistan could be hit by the row, British officials have sought to play down the significance of the spat, insisting "no long-term damage" had been done by the prime minister's remarks in India.

British counter-terrorist officials make no secret of the importance they attach to security co-operation with Pakistan, although they admit the relationship can sometimes be difficult.

Gordon Brown said 75% of terrorist plots in the UK had links to Pakistan, though that figure is now said to be down to around 50% as al-Qaida's presence and operational abilities in the region have diminished. British and other Nato forces in Afghanistan are almost entirely dependent on Pakistan for their supply route.

Numerous terrorist conspiracies, some involving British nationals, have been foiled with spy agencies from the two countries working together, including the 2006 plan to blow up transatlantic airliners.

Britain's high commission in Islamabad has long included a senior representative from MI6 and also, more recently, from MI5 – a change that reflects the growth of domestic UK security concerns since the July 2005 London bombings.

The shadow foreign secretary, David Miliband, compared Cameron's diplomatic style to "a cuttlefish squirting out ink".

"Mr Cameron has used the last two weeks to make a verbal splash on foreign policy. Like a cuttlefish squirting out ink his words were copious and created a mess," Miliband said.

"The mindsets in Israel, Pakistan and Britain have all been given the once-over. But making a splash is not the same as making a difference. That is the real test, not the false trail of whether to speak straight or not."

Miliband said the prime minister should have recognised Pakistan's suffering at the hands of terrorists and the democratic progress achieved in Islamabad over recent years, rather than highlighting allegations of covert support for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Cameron angered Israel by describing the Palestinian enclave of Gaza as "a prison camp" during a visit to Turkey last week.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/02/pakistan-cameron-terrorism-zardari