US ambassador receives death threat

US Ambassador to Pakistan Ronald Spiers received a letter saying he would be shot unless he left the country immediately, an embassy spokesman said here.

The letter did not give a reason for the threat, but informed sources said it could be connected with either a recent wave of attacks on supporters of Pakistan's military ruler, President Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, or events in Lebanon. Pakistan's banned political parties have criticized the US for providing a $3.2 billion military and economic aid package to Islamabad which they say will help to keep Zia in power.