David Cameron sees Pakistan as important ally

The Prime Minister has flown from Kabul to Islamabad on the second leg of this trip. After the recent elections in Pakistan he is getting in quickly - the first Western leader to meet Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan is an important British ally in the region. High on Mr Cameron's agenda at talks at the Prime Ministerial residence this morning - whether the Pakistan government can help bring the Taliban to the table to talks with the Afghan government.

This morning the Prime Minister said that it is in Pakistan's best interests to have a stable Afghanistan as a neighbour and that Mr Sharif has the credibility of just being elected which gives him power and influence.

In Afghanistan yesterday Mr Cameron emphasized that he believed that the Taliban were watching the progress that was being made in Afghanistan - "they are beginning to realise that they are not going to secure a role in Afghanistan’s future through terror and violence. But by giving up their arms and engaging in a political process."

What is abundantly clear though is that Britain's role is shifting and shifting fast from a military one to a diplomatic one.

By the end of this year there will be only 4 British bases in Afghanistan. Senior British Military sources suggested that the country would still need NATO support for 3-5 years after 2014 but the view from Number 10 is very definitely that Britain has done its fair share militarily.