Britain's leading newspaper The Daily Telegraph on Monday withdrew its correspondents from Pakistan, a day after President Pervez Musharraf [Images] demanded an apology over a controversial editorial published in the newspaper last week which contained an expletive.

The editorial, which was critical of Musharraf, evoked strong reaction from the general who said on Sunday that he expected an apology from the daily.

"The Telegraph has withdrawn its correspondents in Pakistan after they were threatened with expulsion by the government," a two-paragraph article in the newspaper said on Monday.

"The move comes after the Pakistan High Commission complained about the language used to describe President Musharraf in a leading article last week," the daily said.

Britain's foreign ministry on Sunday said that the three journalists were on their way back to the country and that the British high commissioner had complained to Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri about the journalists' treatment.

"We believe media freedom is essential to economic and social development and stability and actively support the development of a free and fair press in Pakistan," a foreign office spokesman said on Monday.

Pakistan ordered the three Telegraph reporters to leave the country within 72 hours on Saturday because of the 'foul and abusive language' used in the editorial, a week after Musharraf declared a state of Emergency which included strict curbs on the media.