As rain fell throughout Pakistan on Friday, public anger at President Asif Ali Zardari, away on a European trip, began to swell with critics accusing him of ignoring the country’s worst flooding in 80 years in order to travel abroad.

Political opponents, print and electronic media continued venting their anger at Mr. Zardari as the army and international aid organizations struggled to help victims of the flooding. After visiting France, Mr. Zardari is in Britain where he arrived on Friday at the country residence of British Prime Minister David Cameron for talks on terrorism, Afghanistan and trade.

The Pakistan government emphasized that the talks were an opportunity to smooth over a diplomatic tussle created by comments last week by Mr. Cameron that were highly critical of Pakistan’s approach to fighting terrorism. Pakistani leaders were particularly angered because Mr. Cameron made the criticism during a visit to its regional arch-rival, India.

But Mr. Zardari’s diplomacy has not eased criticism at home, where his popularity continued to fall in recent surveys.

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