London, Feb. 16 : If his comment linking the settlement of the Kashmir dispute to the ending of terrorism in South Asia were not enough, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband continues to commit political gaffes that could terminate his aspiration to sit in 10, Downing Street one day.

Miliband is now facing fresh pressure over torture allegations after it was revealed that his officials asked the US for help in suppressing crucial evidence.

According to The Times and The Guardian, the Foreign Office solicited a letter from Washington to back up its claim that if the evidence was disclosed, the US could stop sharing intelligence with Britain.

In response to the British request, John Bellinger, the state department''s chief legal adviser, said in a letter to the Foreign Office last August: "We want to affirm the public disclosure of these documents is likely to result in serious damage to US national security and could harm existing intelligence information-sharing arrangements between our two governments".

In their judgment, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones made it clear that without Miliband''s claim about what they called the "gravity of the threat" from the US, they would have ordered the evidence to be revealed.

Though the judges repeatedly used the word "threat", Miliband subsequently denied the US had threatened to stop sharing intelligence with Britain.

The case is to reopen next month. (ANI)