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:: FOCUS - Pakistan Votes.
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Sharif, Zardari challenge Musharraf to convene parliament
Islamabad, February 27: In their first show of strength after the polls, Pakistan's opposition parties on Wednesday challenged President Pervez Musharraf to call a session of the newly elected parliament and said parties backed by him had failed to muster support.
What next for Musharraf?
Islamabad, February 27 (IANS): Impeachment or an honourable walkout - the options could be narrowing for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who has ruled for eight years and now finds himself isolated as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) firm up plans for government formation.
PML-N to back PPP for six months, not to join govt
Islamabad, February 26: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party Tuesday vowed to give unconditional support to a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government for six months but said it will not join the government.
Al Qaeda suspect arrested in Bhutto assassination attempt
Islamabad, February 26: Pakistani security forces have arrested an Al Qaeda linked suspect in connection with the assassination attempt on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi last October, Geo TV reported Tuesday.
Suicide bomber kills Pakistani army general, six others
Islamabad, February 25: Seven people, including a Pakistani army general, were killed and at least 30 injured in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in a renewed terror attack after the last week's general elections, police and hospital sources said.
When Arafat almost kissed Benazir Bhutto!
New Delhi, February 27: A book dedicated to Benazir Bhutto by a former aide says that the slain Pakistani former premier was paranoid about shaking hands with men, but Palestinian icon Yasser Arafat came close to kissing her one day!
Taliban ready for talks with new Pakistan government
Islamabad, February 24: A Pakistani Taliban militant commander in the northwestern region Sunday said his group was ready for peace talks with the new government.
Musharraf spokesman denies he is stepping down
Islamabad, February 24: Pakistan's presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi Sunday denied a report in a British daily that Pervez Musharraf was considering stepping down as president.
Makhdoom Amin Fahim to be Pakistan's next premier
Islamabad, February 23: The incoming ruling party of slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has chosen the country's next prime minister, who is to be announced when the new parliament convenes early next month, party officials said Saturday.
Musharraf's fate looks sealed, say analysts
Islamabad, February 22 (IANS): Despite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's repeated assertion that he would work with the new government, there is near consensus among analysts that his efforts may be in vain.
West pressurising Zardari, Nawaz to work with Musharraf: reports
Islamabad, February 23: Western envoys in the Pakistani capital are persuading the leaders of parties that won last Monday's elections to work with President Pervez Musharraf amid mounting worries about his political future, news reports said Saturday.
'Sharif's anti-Musharraf stance can isolate him'
Islamabad, February 23 (IANS): Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party that secured second position in parliamentary elections may be isolated in the new scenario if he refuses to work with President Pervez Musharraf, a senior government official said Saturday.
Video exposes poll rigging in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 23: Though Monday's general elections were considered largely free and fair, an independent TV channel has aired a videotape unmasking rigging in some voting booths.
Nawaz vows not to give in to US pressure
Islamabad, February 23: Vowing not to bow to US pressure, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said the era of foreign interference in the country was over.
Bomb blast kills 13 children in north-west Pakistan
Islamabad, February 22: At least 13 people were killed Friday when a roadside bomb struck a bus carrying a wedding party in Pakistan's volatile Swat Valley, an army officer said.
Commonwealth secretary general welcomes Pakistan polls
Islamabad, February 22: Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon has welcomed the Feb 18 general elections in Pakistan, saying the polls were held in a fair and peaceful manner, according to a press release issued here Friday.
Sharif, Zardari agree to form coalition government
Islamabad, February 21: Pakistan is set for a "national consensus government" as Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, leading two largest parties in the newly elected National Assembly, Thursday agreed to join hands at both the national level and in provinces.
Bush calls Musharraf, reaffirms support
Islamabad, February 21: US President George W. Bush congratulated Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Thursday on the peaceful conduct of polls and reiterated US support to his policies, Online news agency reported.
Sharif calls for chief justice's release
Islamabad, February 21: Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday asked the government to release sacked chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry immediately, saying the people will get him "released" themselves if the government did not do so.
People voted against Musharraf's emergency move: chief justice
Islamabad, February 21 (IANS): Pakistan's deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry may be out of sight, but his voice can still be heard. Despite being under house arrest, he addressed lawyers in two cities Thursday and asserted the people's verdict was against the provisional constitution order (PCO) promulgated by President Pervez Musharraf.
PPP rules out alliance with Pakistan president's party
Islamabad, February 20: The party of assassinated Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto Wednesday ruled out a coalition with embattled President Pervez Musharraf but would invite all other political groups into a unity government, its new leader said.
US wants new Pakistan government to work with Musharraf
Washington, February 20 (IANS): If President George W. Bush can continue to head the US government after his Republican Party lost the majority in Congress in 2006, Pervez Musharraf can retain his position as the president of Pakistan even though his party has lost the polls, a White House spokesperson said.
I am not prime ministerial candidate: Zardari
Islamabad, February 20: Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Wednesday said he would not become prime minister of Pakistan, local TV channel Dawn News reported.
Pakistan polls free and fair, but officials were biased: observers
Islamabad, February 20 (IANS): Pakistan's general elections Monday were relatively free and fair, but the government machinery was significantly tilted towards the erstwhile ruling party in the run-up to the polling, international observers said Wednesday.
Musharraf calls for harmonious coalition
Islamabad, February 20: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday emphasized the need for harmonious coalition in the interest of good governance, development and progress of Pakistan, a statement issued by the Foreign Office here said.
Pakistan verdict a vote for change, democracy: US senators
New Delhi, February 20: The US sees the poll verdict in Pakistan as "a vote for change and a vote against religious parties" and is ready to engage with new leaders, said a team of American senators who flew in here after observing elections in that country.
Oust Musharraf, Pakistan lawyers demand after poll verdict
Islamabad, February 20: Lawyers in Pakistan, enthused by the defeat of the 'king's party' in the elections, Wednesday called for President Musharraf's ouster, and said their weekly boycott of courts will continue till the release of the detained judges.
Political voice of minorities still stifled in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 20 (IANS): In Muslim majority Pakistan, people of other faiths have long wanted equal say in the affairs of state. Although a record number of 12 non-Muslims contested this year for parliament, minority leaders say that discriminatory electoral process still stifles their political voice.
Kashmiri leaders welcome Pakistan poll verdict
Srinagar, February 20: Cutting across the party lines and political ideologies, mainstream and separatist leaders in Kashmir have welcomed the people's verdict in Pakistan.
Pakistan votes: exeunt Musharraf, hello again Nawaz-Bhutto
Islamabad, February 19: After eight years of President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistanis said a decisive 'no more' to him, rejecting not just his PML-Q but also the religious parties and brought back former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the legacy of the late Benazir Bhutto in the reckoning.
And the celebrations began - but uncertainty may continue
Bilawal House, Benzair Bhutto's residence in Karachi, that looked eerily quiet on election day, February 18, suddenly came alive with the first scent of victory. Ecstatic workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) reached in droves from all over Karachi and began making merry amid blaring horns. Many broke into impromptu songs and dance and the rat-a-tat of rifle firing continued till the wee hours. Having dealt a death blow to the allies of President Pervez Musharraf, the opposition parties began celebrations late on February 18 evening that continued all of next day.
Musharraf urges new government to work with all stakeholders
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said he hoped Pakistan would move in a positive direction in the changed scenario and that the new government would work in a harmonious manner with all stakeholders.
Zardari stakes claim, MQM and Sharif might support
Islamabad, February 19: Buoyed by the poll results, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari staked his party's claim to form a government after it won the highest number of seats in the National Assembly on February 19th. The PPP secured 86 seats in the 272-member National Assembly in the February 18 elections, though it fell 51 seats short of majority.
Sharif says judges would decide Musharraf's fate
Islamabad, February 19: The smile is back on Nawaz Sharif's face. Less than three months after his return from exile, he holds the key to the formation of the next government. He was relaxed and even cracked jokes with journalists - at Musharraf's expense. He was seen in a cheerful mood for the first time since his government was ousted in a military coup in October 1999.
PPP emerges biggest party in Pakistan polls
Islamabad, February 19: Thouh there is no decisive victor either at the centre or in any of the four provinces, slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Tuesday emerged as the single largest party in the national elections.
PML-Q accepts defeat, leaves door open for negotiation
Islamabad, February 19: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), backed by President Pervez Musharraf, Tuesday accepted defeat but left room for negotiating a role for itself in the next government saying that "nothing can be ruled out in politics".
Opposition victory signals rise in Pakistan stocks
Islamabad, February 19: Pakistan's business community Tuesday celebrated the opposition victory in the country's general elections with a 413-point surge in the leading stock market in morning trade.
Women-only polling stations do not attract many Pakistanis
Rawalpindi, February 18 (IANS): Farzana Bushara, a housewife and a die-hard supporter of slain former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, had a novel way of expressing her admiration. She cut out photographs of Bhutto from magazines and stuck them to her woollen waistcoat.
Polls meaningless without restoration of judiciary, free media: Imran Khan
Karachi, February 19 (IANS) Violence during the crucial parliamentary elections in Pakistan could well be the precursor to wide spread street protests in the country, Tehreek-I-Insaf chief and cricket legend Imran Khan, who boycotted the polls, has said. He firmly believes the elections held Monday are a farce due to unprecedented pre-poll rigging.
Pakistan votes in 'mother of all elections'
Islamabad, February 18 (IANS): Millions across Pakistan braved terror threats and voted to pick a new parliament and four provincial assemblies in the "mother of all elections", with stray violence leaving at least seven people dead.
Pakistan poll violence claims 20 lives
Islamabad, February 18: At least 20 people were killed and more than 90 injured in different areas across Pakistan in poll-related violence since Sunday, officials said Monday.
Early vote count throws up mixed trends in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 18: The ballot count after Monday's general elections for national and four provincial assemblies initially showed mixed trends with all three major parties leading in different constituencies.
Musharraf vows to work with any elected government
Islamabad, February 18: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf vowed Monday to work in harmony with the new government elected after the polls.
No negativity, but India does figure in Pakistan election
Islamabad, February 18 (IANS): The once-endemic anti-India rhetoric is gone. Even Kashmir did not figure in campaign rallies. As Pakistanis voted Monday, there appeared to be some genuine admiration for Indian democracy.
American observer doesn't take rigging charges seriously
Islamabad, February 18 (IANS): The head of an election observer group, contracted by the US government to monitor Pakistan's general elections Monday, said that while it was easy to cry foul in elections, there had to be more specific allegations for it to be taken seriously.
Musharraf eighth worst dictator in world: Parade magazine
New York, February 18: Pakistan's beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf has been named the eighth worst dictator in the world by the widely circulated Parade magazine here.
In at least seven booths, women stopped from voting
Islamabad, February 18: Women in some areas North West Frontier Province (NWFP), tribal areas and Punjab were barred from voting in Pakistan's general elections Monday. Authorities said they would take action against those behind the move.
Musharraf says PML-Q will win majority
Islamabad, February 17: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has predicted that the party backed by him - the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) - and its allies will win majority in Monday's polls.
Ex-Taliban commander funded Bhutto killing: police
Rawalpindi, February 17: Former Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsood had funded five extremists to kill former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Additional Inspector General of Punjab Province Chudhary Abdul Majeed said Sunday.
Zardari warns of civil war in Pakistan if polls rigged
London, February 17: Former premier Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Zardari says her Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will "take to the streets" if the results of Monday's polls are rigged in favour of President Pervez Musharraf.
Previous polls in Pakistan not very encouraging
Islamabad, February 17 (IANS): As Pakistan holds its 10th parliamentary elections Monday, a recap into the previous polls shows that they have not been very encouraging.
Pakistan poll campaign ends with suicide attack, 42 killed
Islamabad, February 16: At least 42 people were killed and over 100 injured in a suicide attack in northwest Pakistan's tribal area Saturday evening, marking a bloody end to the campaign ahead of Monday's crucial parliamentary polls - described by President Pervez Musharraf as the "mother of all elections".
Will the mullahs be routed in this Pakistan election?
Karachi, February 17: "I've washed my hands of these mullahs, they are nothing but trouble," says a fed-up Mohammad Ayub. So this time he has decided he won't cast his vote in favour of any of Pakistan's religious political parties in Monday's crucial election.
Everything possible done for free and fair elections: Musharraf
Islamabad, February 16: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said Saturday that his government has done everything possible for conducting free, fair and transparent elections Monday though there could be some irregularities in some areas which were beyond his control, Online news agency reported.
US making elaborate efforts to monitor Pakistan polls
Washington, February 16: The US has high stakes in Pakistan's general election, being held Monday, and is making elaborate efforts to monitor the exercise but is also prepared for irregularities, the State Department has said.
Monday polls 'mother of all elections': Musharraf
Islamabad, February 14: President Pervez Musharraf Thursday termed the Feb 18 polls in Pakistan as "mother of all elections" and promised that the vote would be free, fair and transparent.
Taliban announces ceasefire for Pakistan polls
Islamabad, February 14: The Taliban in Pakistan has announced a ceasefire ahead of the Feb 18 parliament polls, saying no attacks will be carried out on any election facility or rally.
Pakistan parties wage bitter media wars, campaigning ends
Islamabad, February 16: Pakistan political parties were engaged in a bitter media campaigning, charging one another of betraying the people as electioneering for the Monday polls ended Saturday.
Pakistan launches operation to trace envoy
Islamabad, February 14: Pakistani has started a massive operation to trace its missing ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin who is believed to hav been abducted by militants on his way to Kabul Monday, an official said Thursday.
Pakistan polls could be rigged, alleges rights body
Islamabad, February15: Human Rights Watch (HRW) Friday said it has an audio recording of a top Pakistani government official saying that Monday's elections will be rigged in favour of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Quaid), a party backed by President Pervez Musharraf.
No rules binding media coverage of polls: Pak Election Commission
Islamabad, February 16: The Pakistani media can begin announcing the results of the general election Monday evening itself, soon after officials declare them, as no code of conduct has been prescribed.
Most Pakistanis want Musharraf to go: survey
Islamabad, February 14 (IANS): Most Pakistanis want the new parliament to restore sacked Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and feel that President Pervez Musharraf's resignation can improve the political and security situation, says a survey.
'70 percent of British terrorism traced to Pakistan'
London, February 11 (IANS): Seventy percent of all terrorist incidents in Britain has their origin in Pakistan, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Monday.
No trace yet of abducted Pakistani envoy
Islamabad, February 13: Pakistani security forces resumed searching for a third day Wednesday for the country's ambassador to Afghanistan who disappeared in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region where Taliban militants have become increasingly active.
Opposition parties fear rigging in Pakistan polls
Islamabad, February 14 (IANS): All major Pakistani opposition parties contesting the Feb 18 polls fear rigging and have alleged that the parties allied to President Pervez Musharraf have prepared a plan for large-scale electoral fraud.
Army to stay away from poll booths in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 13 (IANS): As Pakistan gears up for its crucial polls Feb 18, under scrutiny by the international community and media, the interior ministry said that army and paramilitary troops would not be deployed at polling stations, though they would be available for any emergency.
Bhutto assassins say attack was revenge for Pakistani mosque siege
Islamabad, February 13: Two Pakistani militants arrested in connection with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto have confessed that were seeking revenge for the death of a comrade killed in a commando assault on Islamabad's Red Mosque in July 2007, a police official said Wednesday.
Pakistan's clerics blame war on terror for suicide attacks
Karachi, February 13 (IANS): Pakistan's top religious scholars have asked President Pervez Musharraf to step down, suggesting that the spate of suicide bombings are a reaction to the government's flawed policies.
Militants offer to swap Pakistani envoy for their detained leader
Islamabad, February 12: Tribal Islamist militants in Pakistan's northwest region Tuesday claimed responsibility for the abduction of the country's ambassador to Kabul Tariq Azizuddin, and said they were willing to swap him for detained militant commander Mullah Mansoor Dadullah.
Pakistan military withdraws officers from civilian duties
Islamabad, February 12: The Pakistan Army has recalled hundreds of officers assigned to government offices to distance the military from the state bureaucracy, a news report said Tuesday.
Pakistan arrests senior Taliban commander: report
Islamabad, February 11: Senior Taliban commander Mullah Mansoor Dadullah was arrested in a secret operation in an area of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, local TV channels reported Monday.
Six killed in suicide attack in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 11: At least six people were killed and 13 injured Monday in a suicide attack in Pakistan's tribal area of North Waziristan, according to local press reports.
Pakistan finally understands terror danger: US
Washington, February 8 (IANS): A top Pentagon official flew to Pakistan to discuss security issues as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Islamabad has only recently realised that terrorists on its border with Afghanistan pose a significant threat.
Pakistan poll campaign may now take off
Islamabad, February 9 (IANS): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announcement that it would begin full-fledged campaigning for the Feb 18 polls could add colour to the lacklustre political activity since the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Obama backs move for democracy in Pakistan
Washington, February 9 (IANS): Democrat US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has co-sponsored a Senate resolution asking Washington to make a concerted effort to ensure Pakistan returns to the democratic path in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
PPP in turmoil over Zardari's PM bid
Islamabad, February 7: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is in turmoil over its co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari's prime ministerial aspirations as this is being seen as impacting on the attempts of party stalwart Makhdoom Amin Fahim to occupy the slot if the PPP is voted to power in the Feb 18 general election.
Militants may target Pakistani leaders, Western diplomats: report
Islamabad, February 6: Islamic militants operating in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas may be targeting suicide attacks against Pakistani political figures and American and British diplomats, a report said Wednesday.
Pakistan arrests two more in Bhutto assassination plot
Islamabad, February 7: Pakistani authorities Thursday arrested two alleged militants they said were linked to the assassination of former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, local media reported.
Pakistan's private TV channel blocked again
Islamabad, February 7 (IANS): The Pakistan government has allegedly forced a private television channel to go off air for some time after a strong critic of President Pervez Musharraf appeared on screen.
Pakistan's pro-Taliban groups announce unilateral ceasefire
Islamabad, February 7: The Taliban network in Pakistan has announced a unilateral ceasefire with government forces it has been fighting for more than six months.
Thousands pray for Bhutto as mourning ends, and poll buzz begins
Garhi Khuda Bukhsh (Pakistan), February 7: Forty days after she was assassinated, thousands of Pakistanis gathered here Thursday to pray for former prime minister Benazir Bhutto outside the mausoleum where she rests with her father and two brothers.
Pakistan says it has done most to counter Al Qaeda
Islamabad, February 6: Pakistan said that it has done more than any other country to counter the challenge of the Al Qaeda.
Bhutto in her will urged continued fight against terrorism
Islamabad, February 5: In a will written just weeks before her assassination in late December, Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto urged her supporters to continue fighting terrorism and dictatorship, a local news report said Tuesday.
Osama's son plotted to kill Benazir, autobiography claims
London, February 3: Slain Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto has, in her autobiography published posthumously, named the 16-year-old son of Osama bin Laden as the leader of one of the four gangs of "designated assassins" sent to kill her.
Terrorists used baby to try and kill Benazir in October
London, February 3: Terrorists used a baby strapped with bombs in the first assassination attempt on former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto the day she returned home last year after self-imposed exile, Bhutto reveals in her autobiography being published posthumously.
Electioneering in Pakistan likely to pick up
Islamabad, February 3: Campaigning for the general election later this month that had virtually come to a grinding halt after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is likely to pick up in the coming days with the major stakeholders finalising plans for rallies and public meetings.
Pakistan says no confirmation of Al Qaeda commander's killing
Islamabad, February 1: Pakistan's Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan Friday said the government had no confirmation of reports that a top Al Qaeda operative had been killed in the northwest of the country, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
Three militants, two policemen killed in Pakistan shootout
Islamabad, February 2: Three Islamic militants and two policemen were killed Saturday in a gunfight that continued for several hours in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP, officials said.
Two Red Cross employees go missing in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 3: Two Pakistani employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) went missing in the country's tribal region, an ICRC spokesperson said Sunday.
Some fraud expected in Pakistan poll: US official
Washington, January 30 (IANS): US lawmakers want Washington to increase pressure on President Pervez Musharraf to ensure free and fair elections in Pakistan even as a senior official admitted that some fraud was to be expected.
Bodies of 13 slain troops found in Pakistan: report
Islamabad, January 30: Authorities in Pakistan Wednesday found the bodies of 13 soldiers who were seized by the Islamic militants six days ago in the country's North-West Frontier Province, the Aaj news channel reported.
Suspect in Bhutto case identifies bomber
Islamabad, January 29: A teenage boy suspected to be a member of a suicide squad picked to murder former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto has identified the bomber who blew himself up near her car, TV channels reported Tuesday.
Militants take Pakistani children hostage for several hours
Islamabad, January 28: Islamic militants Monday took dozens of school children hostage in the North West Frontier Province for several hours during a failed attempt to kidnap a government official, and released them after being given safe passage.
24 militants killed as Pakistan military secures tunnel
Islamabad, January 27: Security forces in Pakistan Sunday killed 24 militants and gained control of a strategic road tunnel, while 31 rebels were seized in restive Swat valley in the country's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), the army said.
More suspects in Bhutto's assassination arrested
Islamabad, January 26: Pakistani authorities have arrested more suspects in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on a tip from a detained suspect, a senior official said Saturday.
Pakistan increases security of its nuclear weapons
Rawalpindi, January 26: Pakistan said it had bolstered security for its nuclear weapons in recent months and ruled out the possibility of Islamic militants or Al Qaeda terrorists getting them under their control.
US offers joint combat operations with Pakistan
Washington, January 25: US military has offered to undertake joint combat operations with Pakistani forces against Islamic militants if the government there requests help, Defence Secretary Robert M. Gates has said.
This is seen as a change in the US position since Pentagon officials had so far avoided talking publicly about the possibility of operations with Pakistan because of avowed opposition by President Pervez Musharraf and the likelihood of widespread protests against direct American involvement.
Imran Khan meets US lawmakers, seeks aid cut to Pakistan
Washington, Jan 25 (IANS) Imran Khan, the Pakistani cricketer-turned politician, said he met key US Senators and Congressmen to press Washington to cut aid to President Pervez Musharraf's administration to put pressure on him to reinstate the sacked judiciary, a key to restoring democracy in the country.Underlining Musharraf's scorn for democracy and public accountability, Khan said here Thursday, "The $10 billion US aid since 9/11 was never mentioned in Pakistan's parliament, which Musharraf used as 'rubber stamp'."
Pakistan Army kills 30 militants in tribal region
Islamabad, January 25: Up to 30 Islamic militants and two soldiers were killed Friday when Pakistan's security forces launched an offensive in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan to recover four trucks carrying ammunition rebels had seized the day before, the army said.
"A group of six hired civilian trucks, which were carrying stores and supplies, including some ammunition, was intercepted by miscreants at Dara Adam Khel Thursday and four of these were hijacked," a statement from the Pakistani Army said.
Pakistani nuclear arsenal in safe hands: army chief
Islamabad, January 25: Pakistan's nuclear weapons are in safe hands and fears in the West that they could fall into extremist hands are "unrealistic", army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said Friday.
The general made the comments after Pakistan successfully test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile Shaheen-1 (Hatf-4), marking the conclusion of the army's annual field training exercises.
Post assassination-riots, 12,000 Karachi workers could lose jobs
Karachi, January 25: The riots that followed the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto caused damage worth more than Rs.80 billion to public and private property in her home province of Sind and could result in at least 12,000 workers in this southern port city losing their jobs. These workers were employed in 19 factories that were gutted in the Korangi Industrial Area in Karachi and they are now threatening to come out on the streets in protest.
Pakistan launches major offensive against Taliban
Islamabad, January 23: Two soldiers were killed on Wednesday as hundreds of Pakistani troops launched a major operation against a pro-Taliban commander who has been blamed for the murder of former premier Benazir Bhutto in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.
More than 700 soldiers from the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army began an offensive against the hideouts of Islamic militants in the mountains of the tribal south Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, a local security official said.
Pakistan distancing itself from Bhutto murder probe
Islamabad, January 24: The Pakistani government seems to be distancing itself from the probe into former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, saying it was for Scotland Yard to deliver the last word on this.
US Senate leader wants aid to Pakistan cut
New York, January 23: US Senate majority leader Harry Reid, after meeting Pakistani politician Imran Khan, has asked President George W. Bush to cut non-developmental aid to Pakistan if the forthcoming elections there are not free and fair.
US Senate leader wants aid to Pakistan cut
Toronto, January 23 (IANS): The Taliban continues to enjoy "safe havens inside Pakistan, where it is refinanced, rearmed and replenished with new recruits", says an independent panel in its report submitted Tuesday on Canada's future role in Afghanistan.
US rules out aid cut, military strikes inside Pakistan
Washington, January 23 (IANS): The US has ruled out military strikes on its own inside Pakistan despite shortcomings in the quality of information it's getting about terrorist groups and militants operating in the country's tribal area.
:: Benazir Assassination
Zardari rejects offer to become Pakistan PM
Islamabad, January 19: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has rejected an offer from the establishment to head a proposed national reconciliation government, media reports said.
Bilawal: Is he really that 'hot'?
Ever wondered what Benazir Bhutto, the slain Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, would have thought of the way her 19-year-old son Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto is being wooed and fawned over, not just in cyber world but in her hometown of Karachi?
Pakistan questions two suspects in Bhutto plot
Islamabad, January 20: Pakistani authorities questioned two suspects Sunday, including a 15-year-old boy, about their links with a militant group allegedly behind the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, officials said.
Teen held in Bhutto murder plot
Islamabad, January 20: A teenaged boy arrested Friday has told investigators that he was the next in line to kill former prime minister Benazir Bhutto if the Dec 27 attempt had failed, a media report Sunday said.
Bhutto's family did not want autopsy: Musharraf
New York, January 13: Benazir Bhutto's family did not want a post-mortem examination, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said, expressing his willingness to exhume the assassinated leader's body now.
Benazir, politics and India's oil economy
The turmoil in Pakistan following the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had unexpected fallout on the world economy. The fears of political repercussions in the Islamic world made oil markets react nervously and pushed the already high crude prices to a record peak of 100 dollars per barrel on Jan 2. While this may have been a one-day wonder, the very fact that oil prices reached these dizzying heights is worrying governments in both developed and developing economies.
Bhutto medical report fraught with lacunae: experts
Islamabad, January 6: The medical report of slain former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is fraught with lacunae as doctors at the Rawalpindi General Hospital acted "unprofessionally" while writing it, medico-legal experts say.
Risks to Pakistan's economy rising: report
Karachi, January 6: Key indicators recorded a significant decline during the first quarter of the current fiscal and the resulting imbalances could have adverse consequences for the Pakistan economy, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has said in its quarterly report.
Bhutto death augurs unrest, lawlessness in N-armed nation
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination could not have come at a worse time for turbulent Pakistan and threatens to conflagrate a highly volatile security situation in a largely lawless country armed with nuclear weapons.
Was Benazir a victim of West's democratic fundamentalism?
London, Dec 29 (IANS) As Pakistan burned in the angry aftermath of former premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a chorus arose in the capitals of powerful Western countries: howsoever grave the crisis, Pakistan must hold elections as planned. The trans-Atlantic panegyric for democracy may have seemed curiously out of place to many in Pakistan in their hour of incomprehension and grief, but it did not arise out of nowhere.
Benazir's Assassination: A Tragedy Foretold
The assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto by snipers and suicide bombers Dec 27 in Rawalpindi has left the world shell shocked. One could see it coming, though, as a predictable outcome of the tailspin into which Pakistan's polity and society have hurtled through incessant militarisation. Beyond the semantics about derailment of democracy, Benazir's violent end brings into sharp relief the inseparability of Pakistan's governance and social life from Kalashnikov and jehad culture.
Benazir's assassination has dangerous portents
The assassination of former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto is indicative of the rapid stride Pakistan has taken on the path of extremism under General Pervez Musharraf.
Benazir: the girl who mesmerised Shimla
In July 1972, Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj and a tourist paradise after Independence, had few tourists. The reason was that the Himalayan resort had top officials of India and Pakistan arriving in droves to prepare for a summit meeting between then prime minister Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the then prime minister of Pakistan.
Bush's Pakistan strategy in ashes
Washington, Dec 29 (DPA) For the Bush administration, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto puts a major question mark over its efforts to push democracy in south Asia as a bulwark against Islamic extremism.
Bhutto's body had bullet marks, reiterates aide
Islamabad, Dec 29 (IANS) Accusing the Pakistan government of mounting a massive cover up operation over former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a close aide of the slain leader Saturday stoutly maintained that she died of gunshots.
India worried about Bhutto murder fallout; suspends travel links
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto's death cast a shadow of worry in neighbouring India that suspended its bus and train link with the country Friday amid concern that the elements that murdered her might try and create trouble here as well.
A troubled nation bids Benazir Bhutto adieu
Garhi Khuda Baksh (Pakistan), Dec 28 (IANS) The dust clouds swirled Friday as Pakistan's slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was laid to rest, leaving behind a restive country with mobs trawling the streets and 22 people killed in clashes. All the while the clamour for President Pervez Musharraf's resignation grew louder.
India suspends bus, train services to Pakistan indefinitely
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) India Friday cancelled all train and bus services to Pakistan, except the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road link, indefinitely following widespread violence in that country in the aftermath of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
Bhutto died from hitting vehicle roof, says government
Islamabad, Dec 28 (IANS) Controversy continues to surround Benazir Bhutto's death with the Pakistan government Friday evening stating that the former prime minister was killed not by bullets or shrapnel but by hitting the sunroof of her vehicle as she tried to duck after a suicide attack.
Musharraf was relieved not being Benazir's military secretary
Islamabad, Dec 28 (IANS) Pakistan's slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto may have wanted Pervez Musharraf, then a brigadier in the Pakistan Army, to serve as her military secretary but he declined the offer - and is thankful he did so, the president said in his memoir.
She came to save Pakistan, says Zardari
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) "She came to save Pakistan," a grieving Asif Zardari said Friday shortly before the funeral ceremony of his wife, Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated in Rawalpindi.
Long saga of assassinations in South Asia
New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) The killing of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto - whose family is compared with the Kennedys in triumph and tragedy -- highlights the bloody saga of assassinations in South Asia since the end of British rule six decades ago.
Benazir regretted not making peace with India when in power
New York, Dec 27 (IANS) Slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto regretted missing an opportunity when in power in the country to make peace with India.
Benazir assassination strikingly similar to Rajiv's
New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) For millions of Indians, the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto brings alive the haunting images of the May 1991 killing of their own former premier Rajiv Gandhi.
Benazir, Rajiv were beacons that have been snuffed out
New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) The year was 1988, the occasion the SAARC summit in Islamabad, the two main players - Benazir Bhutto and Rajiv Gandhi, two prime ministers, two scions of political families, two leaders expected to take South Asia to a bright new millennium.
Connivance of establishment in Bhutto killing: Pakistani journo
New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) The security and defence establishment in Pakistan are to blame for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said senior Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam Thursday.
Day that began in hope, ended in Bhutto's assassination
Islamabad, Dec 27 (IANS) Benazir Bhutto began her day in hope Thursday, reaching out to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and speaking of a new beginning between their nations. Hours later, it ended in tragedy with the gory assassination of the former Pakistani prime minister.
Countdown to an assassination
Islamabad, Dec 27 (IANS) Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday, a little over two months after she returned home from exile and vowed to take on President Pervez Musharraf in the Jan 8 general elections.
Benazir Bhutto assassinated; Pakistan in turmoil
Islamabad, December 27 (IANS) Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, an iconic symbol of Pakistan, was assassinated in nearby Rawalpindi Thursday moments after a suicide bomber blew up at an election rally killing 30 people and a gunman fired at her, hitting her in the neck and head.
Bhutto's killing sparks violence in Pakistan
Islamabad, December 27 (IANS) Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination sparked violent and emotional outbursts all across Pakistan, with mobs taking to the streets crying, weeping, howling - and attacking government property.
Zardari blames Musharraf government
New Delhi, December 27 (IANS) Asif Zardari, husband of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief, has blamed the Pervez Musharraf government for her assassination. Zardari left for Pakistan from Dubai with their three children after hearing of the assassination Thursday evening.
World powers condemn Benazir assassination, urge stability in Pakistan
Washington, December 27 (Xinhua) Major world powers condemned the assassination Thursday of former Pakistan prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and urged Pakistan government to ensure stability in the country.
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