LONDON/ISLAMABAD, 20 June 2007 — Britain voiced “deep concern” yesterday at reported comments by a Pakistani minister suggesting that author Salman Rushdie’s knighthood could justify suicide attacks, as protests mounted.

The expression of worry came as British Muslim leaders condemned the award for the Indian-born author as a “provocation,” but urged restraint from Muslims in this country, rather than the outpourings of anger in Pakistan.

A Foreign Office spokesman said British High Commissioner Robert Brinkley had made London’s position clear in talks at the Pakistani Foreign Ministry in Islamabad.

“He made clear the British government’s deep concern at what the minister for religious affairs was reported to have said,” he told AFP. “The British government is very clear that nothing can justify suicide bomb attacks.”

Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq told lawmakers in Islamabad on Monday that the honor for Rushdie justified suicide attacks, although he later withdrew the remark.

“It is surprising that the British government is criticizing me. I am the one who is heading the front-line ministry for the front-line state in the war against terrorism,” Haq told AFP yesterday.

Haq said he had already withdrawn the comment, which he made in Parliament on Monday, saying that he meant the knighthood could spark extremism.

“I never supported suicide attacks. What I meant to say yesterday was that we are trying to curb extremism, but their (British) actions are adding fuel to the fire and not helping,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain, the main umbrella group of Islamic organizations, condemned Rushdie’s knighthood as a “provocation” but called for restraint from ordinary Muslims.

Yesterday protesters in the eastern city of Lahore called for Rushdie to be handed over to an Islamic court,

Mukhtar Ahmad adds from Srinagar: Kashmiri group Jamiatul Mujahedeen has strongly protested over the award and called for a shutdown here on Friday.

In a statement the group said, “The people of Kashmir will observe a shutdown on Friday to condemn the awarding of knighthood to Rushdie”