England's eyes will now turn towards Sunday's final in Barbados, potentially against this winter's Ashes opponents Australia, should Michael Clarke's unbeaten team put paid to Pakistan's defence of the trophy on Friday.
Last year, these groups formed a major part of the movement launched by an alliance of Jihadist religious forces, the Defence of Pakistan Council, to put pressure on the Pakistani civilian rulers not to reopen the Nato supply routes through Pakistan.
Both sides insist that their mobilisation along the border is the minimum necessary for self-defence, but Pakistan, at least, is suspicious.
Mr Aziz found room to placate, if not satisfy, his military masters: defence spending is to rise 10%, more than Pakistan can afford but less than the near 30% rise in the larger defence budget of the country's adversary, India.
ECONOMIST: The general dictates the tune to which Pakistan will dance
George Fernandes, India's defence minister, claimed that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency was responsible for the attack, which Pakistan denied.
Mr Singh's defence, that to let Pakistan air fictive grievances was a tribute to Indian magnanimity and strength, looked weak.
The British and Indian foreign ministers discussed this week's visit to Pakistan by the British Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Charles Guthrie, which has caused some disquiet in India.
Denying in the Washington Post this week any Pakistani knowledge of Mr bin Laden's whereabouts these past ten years, Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari, resorted to a familiar defence.
America has also strengthened its defence relationships with Japan, the Philippines and China's close ally Pakistan.
India's defence ministry spokesman Col Jagdish Dahiya denied any recent actions "could have provoked Pakistan".
"At a time when the armed forces are being cut and cut hard, when they're at war in Afghanistan, Pakistan and indeed in Libya, with other conflicts on the horizon, you can see why the defence secretary is concerned, " he said.
Hosts Pakistan begin the tournament with a game against West Indies in Lahore on 11 September and top seeds Australia start their defence of the title against India in Lahore on 13 September, with the final in Lahore on September 28.
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