**Gordon Brown is expected to urge Pakistan to take more action against militants sheltering in the country when he meets its prime minister later.**In talks at Downing Street, he is also set to press Yousef Raza Gilani to take more of a role in the Afghan campaign.
Last weekend, Mr Brown called for a greater effort against the presence of al-Qaeda in Pakistan’s border area.
Mr Gilani is expected to say that his security forces are doing what they can to tackle extremism but need more help.
He has already expressed concern that the extra Nato troops being sent to Afghanistan could push more militants over the border into Pakistan.
BBC world affairs correspondent Caroline Hawley said the visit comes at a crucial time, as the West responds to the interconnected problems of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Taliban’s use of sanctuaries in Pakistan to attack Nato forces in Afghanistan is a major concern for officials, our correspondent said.
Troop surge
Gordon Brown said last weekend that questions must be asked about why nobody has been able to “spot or detain” either al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden or his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri in the eight years since the September 11 attacks in the US.
They are thought to be hiding in the border area.
Announcing the UK’s decision to send 500 more service personnel to Afghanistan, Mr Brown again highlighted the need for more action from Pakistan.
He welcomed its push into the South Waziristan region but said it needed to “step up” efforts against the Pakistan Taliban and al-Qaeda.
US President Barack Obama also pledged to work with Pakistan when he committed an additional 30,000 soldiers to the mission in Afghanistan.