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:: FOCUS - A Tumultuous Pakistan
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Taliban could spread into India, Persian Gulf, says Pakistan
Islamabad, June 15: Pakistan has warned that the Taliban could spread beyond its borders to neighbouring India and as far as the Persian Gulf, unless it receives international aid to help battle militancy on its soil, the Online news agency reported Monday.
Pakistan is on a suicidal course, says Imran Khan
London, June 14: Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has expressed fear that the ongoing military operation against the Taliban in Swat could backfire and fuel extremism and terror attacks in the country.
Lahore mosque blast suspect held in Balochistan
Lahore, June 14: A man suspected to be involved in the bombing of a mosque here in which a prominent cleric who supported the military's ongoing anti-Taliban operations was killed has been arrested from Balochistan, a media report said.
10 killed in Pakistan market blast
Islamabad, June 14: At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 wounded Sunday when a powerful bomb tore through a busy market area in Pakistan's militancy-hit North West Frontier Province, officials and media reports said.
Pakistan will fight until the end: Zardari
Islamabad, June 13: Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said his country was fighting for its "survival" and promised that the ongoing offensive against the Taliban would continue "until the end".
Pakistan presents Rs.2.482 tn budget, hikes defence spending
Islamabad, June 13: The Pakistani government Saturday presented a Rs.2.482 trillion ($30.7 billion) deficit budget for fiscal 2009-10 that focuses on sustainable development, revival of industry and providing relief to the vulnerable and the millions of refugees who have been uprooted by the military's anti-Taliban offensive in the country's restive northwest.
Pakistan needs staggering $2bn for refugee relief
Peshawar, June 12: Pakistan needs a staggering $2.2 billion to rehabilitate the three million refugees who have been uprooted by the military's anti-Taliban operations in the country's restive northwest, Online news agency Friday quoted Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as saying.
11 dead, 34 injured in blast at Pakistan hotel
Peshawar, June 10: At least 11 people were killed and 34 injured Tuesday as a huge explosion ripped through the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), according to officials.
UN receives just $136 mn for Pakistan's displaced
New York, June 9: The UN has received just $136 million, or just under one-fourth, of the $543 million it has appealed for to aid the three million civilians who have been displaced by the Pakistani military's anti-Taliban operations in the country's restive northwest.
Pakistan unlikely to change India-specific defence spending
Islamabad, June 8: Pointing to the acquisition of modern weapons and systems by its eastern neighbour, Pakistan says it is unable to change its India-specific pattern of defence spending.
29 political killings in Karachi in June
Karachi, June 8: Pakistan's financial capital has seen a staggering 29 political killings in the first week of June, eight of them on Sunday alone, police said.
Dhaka, Islamabad spar over 1971 'war crimes' trial: report
Dhaka, June 8: Thirty-eight years after Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan, the two countries are sparring over the "war crimes" committed in 1971, a media report here said Monday.
UN opens new camps for displaced Pakistanis
United Nations, June 9: The UN has opened three new camps to house the displaced Pakistanis fleeing the war in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), officials said.
Pakistan offers reward for capture of militants
Lahore, June 9: The government in Pakistan's Punjab Province has announced cash rewards worth millions of rupees for information leading to the capture of 10 most wanted militants in the country, a media report said Monday.
Over 1,300 militants killed in Pakistan operations, says official
Islamabad, June 7: Pakistani security forces have killed 1,305 militants, including 40 suicide bombers, since the operation began against the Taliban in the country's northwest, the Online news agency said Sunday.
Zardari to visit Russia, Belgium
Islamabad, June 7 (Xinhua): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will visit Russia and the European Union (EU) for summits in mid June, said the presidential spokesman here Sunday.
Pakistan's military seeks tougher anti-terror laws
Islamabad, June 6: Pakistan's military is pushing for tougher anti-terror laws under which the militants captured during the current security forces' operations in the country's troubled northwest can be tried.
Pakistani chief justice finally meets President Zardari
Islamabad, June 6: In a fence-mending move, Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has finally met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, the man who had bitterly opposed his reinstatement to the post he had been sacked from two years ago.
Suicide attack on Islamabad police office kills two
Islamabad, June 6: Two policemen were killed and four others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an emergency police office here Saturday evening, officials said.
Pakistani army set for long haul in northwest: Editorial
Islamabad, June 6: The Pakistani army might have the Taliban on the run in the country's restive northwest but it is in for a long haul as the true battle will begin once peace is restored, an editorial in a leading English daily said Saturday.
Gilani urges US to write off Pakistan's debt
Islamabad, June 5: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday called on the US to write off Pakistan's debt to help Islamabad overcome the current economic crisis aggravated by the war on terror, a media report said.
Pakistani army moves in to retake Swat town held by Taliban
Islamabad, May 18 (DPA): Pakistani troops were fighting street by street Monday to gain control of a key Taliban bastion in the Swat valley, where an intense onslaught has uprooted more than a million civilians.
Over 1.6 million people displaced in Pakistan, say officials
Islamabad, May 18 (Xinhua): More than 1.6 million people have been displaced in Pakistan's troubled North West Frontier Province (NWFP), as the battle against the Taliban hots up, officials said Monday.
Pakistan's political parties endorse anti-Taliban operations
Islamabad, May 18: Pakistan's political parties across the spectrum have endorsed the military's operations against the Taliban in the country's restive northwest, a senior minister said Monday.
Pakistan's nukes are safe: Interior minister
Islamabad, May 18: Allaying fears that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal might fall into the hands of the Taliban, Interior Minister Rehman Malik Monday said: "If we can make nuclear assets, we can also secure them".
Sharia enforced at gunpoint will not be accepted, say Pakistani clerics
Islamabad, May 17: Pakistani clerics said Sunday suicide bombings and beheadings carried out by the Taliban is un-Islamic and urged Islamic nations to help Islamabad in the fight against militants.
Pakistani troops kill 27 militants
Islamabad, May 18 (Xinhua): Twenty-seven Taliban militants were killed Monday in separate operations carried out by the security forces in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), officials said.
Taliban paid about $30,000 for suicide attacks, says Malik
Islamabad, May 18: Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the Taliban have spent huge sums of money to lure youths to carry out suicide attacks in the country.
Gilani urges consensus on combating terrorism
Islamabad, May 18: Urging consensus across the political spectrum on combating terror, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Monday that operations against the Taliban in the restive northwest would continue till the militants were eliminated and civilians uprooted by the conflict able to return to their homes.
Years of democracy brought dividends to India: Pakistani media
Islamabad, May 18: Years of democracy have brought dividends to India, something Pakistan too can learn from, an editorial in a leading English daily said Wednesday on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) decisive victory in the Indian general elections.
Give us more aid or else... : Zardari
London, May 17: Pakistani President Asif Alif Zardari says if he doesn't get billions of dollars in aid, the people in the country's restive northwest will turn against his government.
Pakistan threatens Taliban with 'dire consequences'
Islamabad, May 17: Pakistan Sunday warned the Taliban of "dire consequences" if they didn't lay down arms as the military said its operations against the militants in the country's restive northwest had "entered into a new phase".
Pakistan unlikely to get drones: Report
London, May 17: Pakistan is unlikely to get the American drones that it wants, a British newspaper reported Sunday.
Pakistan Army approaching urban warfare in Swat
Islamabad, May 17 (DPA): Ground troops made advances towards Taliban-held towns in Pakistan's Swat valley Sunday, as aid agencies renewed calls for "massive support" to help out more than one million refugees.
Pakistan's top leadership vows to eliminate Taliban
Islamabad/New York, May 11: Pakistan's top leadership has vowed to take a military operation against the Taliban in the country's troubled northwest to its logical conclusion, saying the militants would be eliminated and collateral damage kept to the minimum.
Pakistan not in danger of collapse: Zardari
Washington, May 11: Pakistan is not in danger of collapsing in the face of a Taliban onslaught as its population "is much, much more than the insurgents are", President Asif Ali Zardari has said.
Over 700 Taliban fighters killed, claims Pakistan
Islamabad, May 11: About 700 militants have so far been killed in the ongoing military operation in northern Pakistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Monday, saying the operation would "continue till elimination of the last terrorist".
Shaky Pakistan seen as a target of Al Qaeda plots: NYT
Washington, May 11: As Taliban militants push deeper into Pakistan, foreign operatives of Al Qaeda are seizing on the turmoil to sow chaos in Pakistan, the New York Times reported Monday.
Minimum collateral damage in fighting Taliban: Zardari
New York, May 11 (IANS) Reiterating Pakistan's commitment to defeat a Taliban insurgency in the country's troubled northwest, President Asif Ali Zardari has vowed to keep collateral damage to the minimum.
10 killed in Pakistan suicide attack
Peshawar, May 11: Ten people were killed and more than 15, including some women, injured in a suicide attack on a paramilitary check post in Pakistan's troubled northwest.
Pakistan seeks global help for displaced people in Swat
Islamabad, May 11: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed concern over the displacement of people in the Swat Valley as the troops intensified their battle against the Taliban in the region, killing at least 200 militants over the weekend.
Supreme Court to hear Nawaz appeal against plane hijack conviction
Islamabad, May 11: The Supreme Court is to hear former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's appeal against his conviction for "hijacking" a commercial airliner carrying then Pakistani Army chief Gen. Pervez Musharraf by attempting to prevent it from landing at Karachi.
Taliban inside, not India, threat to Pakistan, admits Zardari
Washington, May 10: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated that India is not a threat to Pakistan, and acknowledged that the danger was from the terrorists within the country.
Pakistani troops destroy Taliban Swat headquarters, kill 55 militants
Islamabad, May 9 (DPA): Pakistani troops Saturday destroyed the headquarters of the Taliban in the restive Swat valley and killed some 55 militants, as a humanitarian crisis intensified with thousands of civilians stranded in the battlefield.
Operations against Taliban till their elimination: Pakistani PM
Islamabad, May 9: Pakistan was not fighting a "normal war" but conducting a "guerilla" operation against the Taliban in the country's troubled northwest and this would continue till the militants were eliminated, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani declared here Saturday.
Swat civilians flee as Pakistan fights Taliban
Islamabad, May 10 (DPA): An exodus of civilians resumed in Pakistan's Swat valley Sunday as a curfew was temporarily lifted to allow people flee the intensifying conflict.
Taliban threatens to kill Zardari, Gilani
Islamabad, May 9: Stung by a military operation launched against the Taliban in Pakistan's troubled northwest, the militants Saturday threatened to kill President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Pakistan's Sunnis unite against Talibanisation
Islamabad, May 9: The Pakistani government has received an unexpected boost in its struggle against militancy with eight parties of the Barelvi school of thought coming together under the umbrella of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to fight the growing Talibanisation in the country.
Pakistani military vows to crush Taliban
Islamabad, May 8: Admitting to the presence of 4,000 Taliban militants in Swat in Pakistan's restive northwest, the military Friday said it had launched an all-out offensive to flush them out.
US House committee approves $400 mn for Pakistan counterinsurgency
Washington, May 8: A House of Representatives committee has approved $400 million for a new Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, but not before a key member expressed doubts about US strategies in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
'30 percent' chance of coup in Pakistan
Washington, May 8: A top private risk analysis firm gave embattled Pakistan a three-in-ten chance of a military coup even before the latest offensive by Taliban rebels, according to a noted US analyst.
Tough battle ahead against Taliban: Pakistani editorial
Islamabad, May 9: A tough battle lies ahead against the Taliban, an editorial in a leading English daily said Saturday, while another called for devising a long-term strategy to complement the military action against the militants.
US drone attack in Pakistan kills five
Islamabad, May 9 (DPA): A suspected US missile strike near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan Saturday killed at least five people, an intelligence official said.
Can curb extremism but need support: Zardari
Washington, May 8: Pakistan is "up to" the task of rooting out the menace of terrorism with the help of sustained international support, President Asif Ali Zardari has said.
US to press Pakistan on Taliban, nuclear security
Washington, May 5: President Barack Obama will press Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to continue a military drive against Taliban insurgents to prevent a situation that might threaten its stability and nuclear arsenal, US officials say.
US supports Zardari, says Pakistan not a failed state
Washington, May 5: Asking Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to defeating Al Qaeda and other militants on its soil, the US has said that it "unambiguously" supports Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.
Gilani, Shahbaz differ on sharing power in Pakistan's Punjab
Islamabad, May 5: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that heads the ruling federal coalition and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that rules Punjab Tuesday failed to come to an understanding on sharing power in the province.
Talibanisation is a conspiracy to break Pakistan, says MQM
London, May 5 (IANS) Quaid Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has urged people to join forces against terrorism and reiterated that Talibanisation is a conspiracy to break Pakistan, the Online news agency reported Tuesday.
Give up obsession with India, Obama to tell Zardari
Washington, May 5: President Barack Obama is expected to press Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari again to give up its obsession with India as its main threat and instead focus on the armed threat from militant extremists.
500,000 to be moved from Swat ahead of military action: Minister
Islamabad, May 5: Some 500,000 people are to be evacuated from Swat in Pakistan's restive northwest ahead of an expected military operation against the Taliban, a provincial minister said Tuesday.
Pakistani government shot itself in the foot with Swat deal: Dawn
Islamabad, May 5: The Pakistani government had "shot itself in the foot" with the controversial Swat deal, an editorial in a leading English daily said Tuesday, while another said the pact was "never likely to make it past infancy".
Pakistan strife raises US doubts on nuclear arms: NYT
New York, May 4: As the insurgency of the Taliban and Al Qaeda spreads in Pakistan, senior American officials are increasingly concerned about new vulnerabilities for Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, the New York Times reported Monday.
Taliban using civilians as human shields: Pakistani Army
Islamabad, May 4: The Taliban in Pakistan's restive northwest are using civilians as human shields to forestall the security forces action against them, the military said Monday as six soldiers and 10 militants were killed in the fighting.
US 'gravely concerned' about Pakistan 'crisis'
Washington, May 4: The US defence chief says he is "gravely concerned" about the "crisis" Pakistan is facing as Taliban militants fight their way past the army toward the capital of Islamabad.
Taliban says Swat accord 'dissolved'
Islamabad, May 4: The controversial peace accord with the Taliban in Swat in Pakistan's troubled northwest has been "dissolved" due to the ongoing military operations in the area against the militants, who have now threatened to attack targets across the country, a media report Monday said.
Taliban avenging Lal Masjid assault: cleric
Islamabad, May 4: The resurgence of the Taliban in Pakistan's restive northwest is to avenge the assault on the Lal Masjid here two years ago, says the chief cleric of the the mosque.
Suicide bombing kills four soldiers in Pakistan
Islamabad, May 5 (DPA): At least four soldiers were killed Tuesday and more than a dozen people, including schoolchildren, were injured in a suicide car bombing in north-western Pakistan, police said.
Don't look for Sharia in democracy: Sufi Mohammad
Islamabad, May 4: The Sharia and democracy are incompatible, says radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who brokered a controversial peace deal in Pakistan's restive northwest and has pledged to spread the Islamic law across the country.
Pakistan seeks US arms, helicopters ahead of Af-Pak summit
Washington, May 4: Pakistan has asked the US for more arms, including helicopters, saying what they've got isn't enough to fight the Al Qaeda and Taliban forces threatening Pakistan's stability as also Afghanistan, a media report said.
'Pakistan self-sufficient in arms, ammo production'
Islamabad, May 4: Pakistan's ordnance factories are executing orders worth Rs.6.4 billion ($80 million) and the country has achieved self-sufficiency in the production of arms and ammunition, a top official said Monday.
'Taliban could get control of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal'
Washington, May 4: Pakistan must move to the top of US strategic agenda to prevent Islamabad's nuclear arsenal from falling into the hands of Taliban, or worse, an extremist group that seized control of the government, a scholar has warned.
Pakistan sets up Islamic appellate court on Taliban's demand
Islamabad, May 3 (DPA): The regional government in Pakistan's restive North-West Frontier Province announced over the weekend the setting up of an Islamic appellate court, and stressed that Taliban militants must lay down arms.
More than 2000 flee as Pakistan Army kills 80 militants in Buner area
Islamabad, May 3 (Xinhua): Eighty Taliban militants have been killed in the ongoing military operation in Pakistan's Buner district, TV reports said.
Osama may be dead: Zardari
Islamabad, April 27: Pakistani intelligence believes Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is dead, President Asif Ali Zardari said Monday, but also admitted that he did not have any evidence of this.
Pakistani forces retake Lower Dir, Swat peace accord totters
Islamabad, April 27: Pakistani forces Monday regained control of the Lower Dir district from the Taliban, the military said, as the militants suspended a peace accord meant to restore peace in the area.
Taliban halt talks as Pakistani troops kill 20 rebels
Islamabad, April 27 (DPA): The Taliban suspended talks with the government Monday as paramilitary troops pushed deeper into Pakistan's restive north-western region, killing at least 20 militants, officials said.
Taliban target Islamabad, Lahore; talks on to disarm them in Swat
Islamabad, April 26: Around 300 terrorists, including suicide bombers, are believed to be headed towards the Pakistani capital Islamabad as well as Rawalpindi and Lahore cities to carry out major terror attacks as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government held talks with a religious group to disarm the Taliban militia.
Pakistan begins new offensive against Taliban in northwest
Islamabad, April 26 (DPA): Pakistani paramilitary troops backed by helicopter gunships Sunday launched a new assault against Taliban militants in a restive region that was put under Islamic rule two weeks ago after a controversial truce, the military said.
Threat from India relative, that of Taliban absolute: Pakistani paper
Islamabad, April 27: The Pakistani Army needs to shed its India-centric outlook because the threat from across the border is only relative while that of the Taliban is absolute, an editorial in a leading English daily said Monday, noting that 80-90 percent of the military was deployed on the eastern frontier.
300 Taliban fighters to unleash terror in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 26: Around 300 suicide bombers and terrorists led by five senior Taliban commanders close to Baitullah Mehsud are believed to be headed towards the Pakistani capital Islamabad as well as Rawalpindi and Lahore cities to carry out major terror attacks.
Stop lecturing, help us, Pakistan tells West
New York, April 26: Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani has urged the international community to help Pakistan in its efforts to prevent the Talibanisation of the country's Swat and Buner regions instead of giving lectures, the Online news agency reported.
Islamabad talks to religious group to disarm Taliban
Islamabad, April 26: Disarming the Taliban militia in Pakistan and granting general amnesty to them was being discussed by the government with a religious group that brokered a peace deal with the Islamist militants in the restive Swat valley, according to a media report Sunday.
'Lukewarm' welcome awaits British PM in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 26: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who is to arrive in Pakistan Monday "is likely to get a lukewarm reception" amid an aggravating diplomatic row between London and Islamabad over a botched terror probe involving Pakistani students in Britain, a media report said.
Buner returning to normal after Taliban withdrawal
Islamabad, April 25: The situation in Buner in Pakistan's restive northwest that had been forcibly occupied by the Taliban, raising fears that this federal capital just 100 km away could be under threat, is fast returning to normal with the withdrawal of the militants.
Taliban stop Pakistan troops from entering Swat Valley
Islamabad, April 25 (Xinhua): Taliban militants Saturday stopped a convoy of Pakistani security forces from entering the militants' stronghold in Swat Valley, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported Saturday.
Pakistani forces enter cleric Sufi Mohammad's village
Islamabad, April 25: Pakistani security forces Saturday entered Kalpani, the ancestral village of Taliban-backed radical cleric Sufi Mohammad in the northwest but the move was apparently not linked to his threat to impose Sharia laws across the country.
'Toy' bomb kills 12 children in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 26 (DPA): A homemade bomb killed 12 children and wounded three others in Pakistan's volatile northwestern region, officials said Sunday.
Pakistani Taliban hand over body of slain Polish worker
Islamabad, April 27 (DPA): Taliban militants have handed over to Pakistani authorities the body of a Polish national who was beheaded in February after four months of captivity, media reports said Monday.
Terrorism more serious than recession: Zardari
Boao (China), April 18: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said his country needed more international support in combating terrorism, which he described as being more serious than the global economic slowdown.
Bombings kill 31, including 25 troops, in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 19 (DPA): Two separate bombings Saturday killed at least 31 people, including 25 soldiers, in Pakistan's restive northwestern region, police officials and media reports said.
Taliban advancing deeper into Pakistan: NYT
New York, April 17: The Taliban have advanced deeper into Pakistan by engineering a class revolt that exploits profound fissures between a small group of wealthy landlords and their landless tenants, says the New York Times.
Pakistan receives pledges of $5.28 bn at donors conference
Tokyo, April 17: A donors conference here has pledged $5.28 billion to Pakistan over the next two years to stabilise its economy even as it continues the war against terror, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Friday.
Hardline cleric vows to bring Islamic sharia to Pakistan
Islamabad, April 17 (DPA): A pro-Taliban cleric reiterated his pledge Friday to struggle "till death" for enforcement of Islamic sharia law across Pakistan, asking his supporters to be ready for sacrifices.
Pakistan had alerted US to its nuclear tests: Gohar Ayub Khan
Islamabad, April 18: Pakistan had with a "heavy heart" informed the US of its May 1998 nuclear tests that it had conducted in retaliation to India's tests the same month, former foreign minister Gohar Ayub Khan says in his new book.
Pakistan to station JF-17 combat jets at Peshawar
Islamabad, April 17: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will station its first squadron of the JF-17 Thunder combat jet that has been jointly developed with China at Peshawar, the capital of the restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP), it was announced Friday.
Nawaz party sets 'precedent', to support government from opposition
Islamabad, April 16: Holding that a "precedent" was being set, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said Thursday his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would not join the government but would support it from the opposition benches.
Taliban aims to take over Pakistan: Altaf Hussain
Islamabad, April 17: The Taliban aims to take over Pakistan in the name of Islam, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain warned Friday.
Taliban can take control of Pakistan: Editorial
Islamabad, April 17: With the Taliban positioned in cities across Pakistan, they can achieve their "proclaimed goal" of bringing the entire country under their control, an editorial in a leading English daily said Friday.
'Very difficult to change Pakistan's attention from India to Taliban'
Washington, April 16: With Pakistan army focused heavily on its perceived threats from India, a former US official says it would be very difficult to change its orientation to fight Taliban extremists on its border with Afghanistan.
Pakistan's Red Mosque cleric freed
Islamabad, April 16 (DPA): Pakistani authorities Thursday freed Maulana Abdul Aziz, the hard-line cleric of Islamabad's Red Mosque, a day after the Supreme Court granted him bail.
Sikhs in Pakistan pay Rs.20 mn to Taliban
Islamabad, April 16: Pakistan's Sikh community has been forced to pay Rs.20 million as "jizia" (tax) to the Taliban so as to return to their homes and resume business, a newspaper said Thursday.
Pakistani cleric pledges peace after Sharia law approval
Islamabad, April 14: Pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Mohammad pledged peace in the Swat valley Tuesday as the Pakistani government approved Islamic Sharia law for the troubled north-western region, to honour a truce with Taliban militants.
Taliban, Punjabi militants take insurgency to Pakistan's heartland: NYT
New York, April 14: As they come under US Drone attacks in the tribal areas on the Pakistan-Afghan border, Taliban militants have joined hands with Punjabi militants to push insurgency into the heartland of Pakistan, says the New York Times.
Zardari approves Sharia laws for Swat: Minister
Islamabad, April 13: On a day of fast moving developments, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari late Monday approved the imposition of Sharia laws in parts of the country's restive northwest, including Swat, in return for a controversial deal with the Taliban for laying down their arms.
Pakistan media debates Swat deal with Taliban
Islamabad, April 14: By agreeing to impose Sharia laws in part of its restive northeast, Pakistan had ceded control of the area to a "band of militants", an editorial in a leading English daily said Tuesday.
Pakistan nabs Taliban leader's close aide
Islamabad, April 13 (Xinhua): Pakistan police have arrested a close associate of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in the southern port city of Karachi, a police officer said Monday.
Taliban militants execute couple for eloping
Kabul, April 14 (DPA): Taliban militants publicly executed a young couple for eloping in western Afghanistan, after the family of the young woman handed the pair over for Taliban justice.
US for long-term cooperation with Pakistan: Kerry
Islamabad, April 13: The US considers Pakistan a key ally in the war on terror and is committed to long-term cooperation with it, visiting US Senator John Kerry said here Monday.
Give us the drones, Zardari demands of US
London, April 8: Stung by the repeated Predator attacks in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the US to give it the drones to enable the security forces "take out high-value targets".
Osama bin Laden is in Pakistan: Joe Biden
Washington, April 8: Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), US vice president Joe Biden said, adding that the "most radicalised part of Taliban" is there.
Baitullah Mehsud a terrible man: Holbrooke
New Delhi, April 8: Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud is a "terrible man" who is a "great danger" to Pakistan and Afghanistan but doesn't have the resources to attack the American homeland, a top US diplomat said Wednesday.
Pakistan fighting for survival but will not succumb: Zardari
Islamabad, April 7: Pakistan is "fighting for its survival" but will not "succumb" to the militants, President Asif Ali Zardari told top US officials here Tuesday.
No foreign troops in terror war: Pakistan
Islamabad, April 7: Pakistan Tuesday politely but firmly told the US it would not permit foreign troops on its territory to take on the Taliban and the Al Qaeda in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, urging the creation of "mutual trust" in the struggle and a halt to the US drone attacks in the region.
US-Pakistan have parallel interests in fighting terror: Holbrooke
Islamabad, April 7 (DPA): US special envoy to Pakistan Richard Holbrooke Tuesday said the two countries had parallel interests in fighting the war against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants concentrated along the Afghan border.
'Teenage suicide bombers don't act out of religious fervour'
Islamabad, April 7: The teenage suicide bomber of the kind who struck at a Shia mosque in Pakistan's Punjab killing at least 24 people, including four children, did not act out of religious fervour "but under coercion or brainwashing", an editorial in a leading English daily said Tuesday.
No illusions about terrorists in Pakistan: US
Washington, April 7: The US says it has no illusions about terrorists in Pakistan trying to hit the US and its allies, but believes that Islamabad understands the threat the militants pose to their own government.
Pakistan's parliament to consider anti-terror recommendations
Islamabad, April 7: The National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan's parliament will Thursday consider a road map for implementing a 14-point anti-terrorism resolution adopted at a joint session of the legislature, it was announced here Tuesday.
Pakistan a thriving sanctuary for Afghan, Al Qaeda militants: Stratfor
Washington, April 7: Noting that Pakistan "is a thriving sanctuary" for both Afghan and Al Qaeda militants operating in Afghanistan, a leading US think tank says Washington needs to get Pakistan on board with its new Af-Pak strategy, though progress is nowhere near assured.
Time running out for Pakistan: NYT
New York, April 6: With Pakistan's politicians apparently unprepared to take up the new US strategy of a partnership to defeat the Islamist insurgency, analysts in Washington and Islamabad have suggested that the South Asian nation could collapse in six months to a year.
Taliban threaten two attacks a week in Pakistan
Washington, April 6: The Taliban have threatened that they would "carry out two bombings a week within Pakistan" in retaliation to the US drone attacks.
Pakistan girl denies flogging, but rallies condemn Taliban
Islamabad, April 6: The girl who was reportedly whipped by the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat Valley has denied the incident even as a rally was taken out in Karachi to condemn the public lashing. The Supreme Court Monday ordered a probe into the matter.
Sundays suicide blast in Pakistan mosque kills 22
Islamabad, April 5 (DPA): At least 22 people were killed and dozens injured Sunday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque in Pakistan's Punjab province, government officials said.
Islamabad hit, suicide bombings kill over 20 on Saturday
Islamabad, April 5: More than 20 people, including nine paramilitary troopers, were killed in two sucide bombings in Pakistan Saturday, officials said.
Nawaz's party to support, not join Pakistan government
Lahore, April 3: Keeping his options open, former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would not, for the moment, join the federal government but would support it unconditionally.
Obama's Af-Pak plan disastrous for Pakistan: experts
Islamabad, April 3: US President Barack Obama's new strategy for Pakistan's troubled tribal areas and Afghanistan is a recipe for disaster from Islamabad's point of view, say experts.
'Pakistan unearths plans for terror attack on Islamabad'
Islamabad, April 3: Pakistani investigators claim to have unearthed plans by a group of 20 Uzbek terrorists to target vital installations in Islamabad, as also Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Abducted UN official released in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 5: A UN official who was abducted in Pakistan two months ago was released by his captors Saturday, the Online news agency reported.
Foiled suicide attack on Pakistani troops kills 17 civilians
Islamabad, April 4 (DPA): At least 17 civilians, including five schoolchildren, were killed and several others were injured Saturday in a foiled suicide attack on paramilitary troops in Pakistan's restive tribal region, a media report said.
When America's top military commander lectured Pakistan's army chief
Islamabad, April 3: A Pakistani website Friday posted a photograph showing the country's army chief submissively listening to America's top military commander on the manner in which the war against terror should be run.
Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for US shootout
Islamabad, April 4 (DPA): Pakistan's top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud has claimed responsibility for the Friday shootings at a US immigration services centre in upstate New York that killed 13 people.
UN team in Pakistan to probe Bhutto killing
Islamabad, April 3: A United Nations team has arrived in Pakistan to probe the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Islamabad high court chief justice under the scanner
Islamabad, April 3: Days after being reinstated as Pakistan's chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry seems to be living up to his promise of rooting out corruption from the judiciary with action being initiated against a top judge for his alleged criminal links.
Teenaged girl flogged by Taliban in Pakistan
London, April 3: A 17-year-old screaming, burqa-clad girl was whipped by Taliban fighters in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley for coming "out of her house with another guy who was not her husband", a two-minute video shot through a mobile phone showed.
50 migrants suffocate in container in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 4 (DPA): Pakistani authorities Saturday recovered at least 50 bodies and dozens of unconscious people from a shipping container in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, the police said.
Iftikhar Chaudhry takes charge as Pakistan chief justice
Islamabad, March 22: Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who was sacked as the chief justice of Pakistan in November 2007 by then president Pervez Musharraf, resumed charge of the office early Sunday.
Time to move forward: Zardari
Islamabad, March 21: With his back to the wall in face of the fast improving relations between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has called for reconciliation, saying "it is time to forget the past".
Pakistan's Islamic party condemns US plan to expand drone attacks
Islamabad, March 20: Pakistan's main Islamic party has reacted angrily to US media reports about Washington's plan to expand drone attacks against the militants in the country, IRNA reported Friday.
No problem working with Nawaz Sharif, says Pakistani premier
London, March 20: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says he has "no problem" working with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, adding he wants to immediately lift federal rule in Punjab.
'Sleepless nights for Zardari, Musharraf'
Islamabad, March 19: For once, both Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and his predecessor seem to be in the same boat, spending sleepless nights over the reinstatement Saturday of sacked Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhury.
Sharif could return, parliament to be supreme: Gilani
Islamabad, March 19: In the strongest assertion of his authority yet, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has said opposition leader Nawaz Sharif could rejoin his government, which will endeavour to return to parliament the powers that had been taken away by former military strongman Pervez Musharraf.
Pakistan to advance clocks by an hour April 1 to save power
Islamabad, March 21: Pakistan is to advance clocks by an hour and increase holidays in industrial estates to cope with a crippling power shortage caused by the drying up of reservoirs at two major dams.
CIA chief likely to visit Pakistan
Islamabad, March 20: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief Leon E. Panetta is likely to visit Pakistan Friday, officials said.
Gilani, Sharif to meet over lunch Sunday
Islamabad, March 20: In a clear indication that their once strained ties were on the mend, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has accepted Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's invitation for lunch on Sunday.
Rocket attack kills 10 civilians in Pakistan
Islamabad, March 20 (DPA): A rocket fired by Islamist militants at a paramilitary base in a Pakistani border town killed at least 10 people and wounded 32, an official said Friday.
Pakistani lawyers begin long march, ignore government's plea on rally venue
Islamabad, March 12: Thousands of Pakistani lawyers Thursday began a Long March to demand restoration of Supreme Court judges sacked two years ago, ignoring both a police crackdown and the government plea on maintaining order during the stir.
Pakistani media condemns 'open fascism' to counter Long March
Islamabad, March 12: Fascism of the worst kind was in evidence as the Pakistani government moved to counter the lawyers' Long March that began Thursday, taking the country "downwards in the direction of totalitarianism", a leading English daily said as another warned of the inevitability of violence during the protest.
Pakistan braces for turmoil as Zardari's hold loosens
Islamabad, March 11 (DPA): Fears are growing that the Pakistani opposition's planned march on Islamabad this week might throw the nuclear-armed country into chaos and put the political future of pro-Western President Asif Ali Zardari at risk.
Kayani meets PM as confrontation looms over sacked judges
Islamabad, March 11: Pakistan Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Wednesday met Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani against the backdrop of a confrontation looming over restoring Supreme Court judges sacked two years ago, with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif bent on leading a countrywide "Long March" of lawyers to force the issue.
Pakistan should respect right of protest amid clampdown: US
Washington, March 11 (DPA): The United States Wednesday said Pakistan should allow its citizens to protest government actions, but refrained from criticizing a massive government clampdown against opposition activists.
House arrest ordered for Sharif brothers: Report
Lahore, March 11: Pakistani authorities Wednesday decided to put Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and his borther Shahbaz Sharif under house arrest to prevent a planned long march by the opposition party workers and lawyers to Islamabad, Geo TV reported.
Confrontation looms in Pakistan over sacked judges
Islamabad, March 11: A confrontation is looming between the government and the opposition over restoring Supreme Court judges sacked two years ago, with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif bent on leading a countrywide "Long March" of lawyers on the issue.
Pakistani tribe to surrender Taliban leaders under peace pact
Islamabad, March 11 (DPA): A major tribe in Pakistan has agreed to stop sheltering the foreign militants, hand over local Taliban leaders and accept the writ of the government in troubled Bajaur district, media reports said Tuesday.
'Pakistan cricket attack mastermind has escaped'
London, March 10: The suspected mastermind of last week's terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore has escaped a police raid on his home, a British newspaper reported Tuesday.
US offers $8 mn in fresh aid for refugees in Pakistan
Washington, March 12 (DPA): The US will offer up to $8 million in aid to help refugees in Pakistan, the White House has said.
'Lahore attack home grown, focus on Jaish and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi'
London, March 8: Security officials in Pakistan are focusing on the possible involvement of two terrorist groups other than the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the recent armed attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, a newspaper said Sunday.
ISI, RAW must stop confrontation: Musharraf
New Delhi, March 7: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf Saturday accused India of whipping up war hysteria after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and asked the intelligence agencies of both countries to stop the path of confrontation for the sake of peace in the subcontinent.
Protest against Zardari spreads in Pakistan
Islamabad, March 6 (DPA): Businesses remained closed and thousands held protest rallies against President Asif Ali Zardari in Pakistan's largest province of Punjab Friday.
Imran suspects 'foreign hand' in attack on Sri Lankans
London, March 7: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan says a "foreign hand" may have planned the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers with a view to hurt Pakistan and end cricket in the country.
Eight security personnel killed in Peshawar blast
Peshawar, March 7: Eight security personnel were killed when an abandoned car they sought to check exploded on the outskirts of Pakistan's Peshawar city Saturday.
`Sri Lankan team security in Pakistan was insufficient'
Colombo, March 6: A Pakistani think-tank has said that the security cover provided to the visiting Sri Lankan team was insufficient and stressed that the Pakistan authorities "must pay attention to uncover the truth without wasting time on conspiracy charges".
Pakistan situation 'very grave': David Miliband
London, March 6 (IANS): The security situation in parts of Pakistan has worsened because of policy flip-flops, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Friday.
'If Pakistan state dysfunctional, so is its cricket'
Islamabad, March 6: Pakistan's cricket mirrors the dysfunctional state of the nation, an editorial in a leading English daily said Friday, lamenting that the country had been reduced to "pariah status" in the wake of the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
Lahore attack: Police probe finds security lapses
Islamabad, March 6: A probe into the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore has attributed the assault to security lapses and has also identified its perpetrators, a media report Friday said.
UN official kidnapped in Pakistan located: Minister
Islamabad, March 6: The location of abducted UN official John Solecki has been found and "he would be recovered very soon", Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said.
International cricket must go on, but not in Pakistan: ICC
London, March 3 (IANS): The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday vowed to keep the game alive despite a terror attack wounding six Sri Lankan players in Lahore but scratched Pakistan out of the list of venues for international matches in the foreseeable future.
Attack on Sri Lankan cricketers: Four suspects arrested
Lahore, March 3: Four suspects were arrested here Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team that left six policemen dead and six players and their assistant coach injured, a media report said.
Lahore terrorists same as those who struck Mumbai: Punjab governor
Lahore, March 3: The terrorists who attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team here Tuesday morning were the same who had struck in Mumbai, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer said.
Indian involvement can't be rejected: Pakistani official
Lahore, March 3: Indian involvement in the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team cannot be ruled out, Lahore Commissioner Khushro Pervaiz was quoted as saying Tuesday.
Pakistan may be struck off World Cup roster
New Delhi, March 3 (IANS): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a serious view of the Lahore terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team and may remove Pakistan as one of the 2011 World Cup organisers. A final decision will, however, be taken at an emergency meeting of the executive board in Dubai this weekend.
ICC had warned Sri Lanka of Pakistan's worsening security scene
London, March 3: The International Cricket Council (ICC) says the Sri Lankan board had been made fully aware of the risks facing their players in Pakistan ahead of their tour that was abruptly called off Tuesday in the wake of the Lahore terror attack.
They were just firing everywhere: Lahore eyewitness
Lahore, March 3: "They were just firing everywhere," an eyewitness said Tuesday of the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus that killed eight people, including six Pakistani policemen, and injured six players and their assistant coach.
US drone attack kills 12 in Pakistan
Islamabad, March 2: At least 12 people were killed in a suspected US drone attack in Pakistan's restive tribal region Sunday, Geo TV reported.
Captors set new deadline for UN hostage in Pakistan
Islamabad, March 2 (DPA): The separatist group holding a UN official in southwest Pakistan for about a month Sunday threatened to kill him if their demands were not met within four days, media reports said.
Pakistani cleric sets deadline for Islamic courts in Swat
Islamabad, March 1: Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the chief of a banned Islamic group who is acting as a peacemaker in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley, Sunday set a March 15 deadline for the government to set up Islamic courts in the region, a media report said.
Suicide bombing kills five in Pakistan
Islamabad, March 2: Five people were killed Monday when a suicide blast ripped through an Islamic seminary in southwestern Pakistan, Geo TV reported.
Pakistan Navy chief does a flip-flop on Mumbai
Islamabad, Feb 28: The Pakistan Navy chief Saturday virtually did a turnaround on his controversial remark - that there was no evidence to prove Ajmal Amir Kasab took the sea route to India to launch the Mumbai terror strikes - by saying the interior ministry might know better.
Kasab didn't take sea route: Pakistani navy chief
Islamabad, Feb 27: Pakistan Friday sought to further muddy the waters on the Mumbai terror strikes, saying the Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone gunman captured during the mayhem, didn't take the sea route to the Indian port city.
Pakistan simmers with protests against Sharifs' poll bar
Islamabad, Feb 26 (IANS): Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday vowed to take his fight against a Supreme Court decision barring him and his brother from contesting elections to the people, as President Asif Ali Zardari attempted to distance himself from the verdict, which has triggered violent protests in the country.
Sharif brothers' poll bar widens Zardari-Gilani rift
Islamabad, Feb 26: The electoral disqualification of the Sharif brothers has widened the simmering rift between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with analysts saying the views of army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani could tilt the balance either way.
FBI team to visit Pakistan March 4
Islamabad, Feb 26: Pakistan Thursday hoped the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would share with Islamabad, during the visit here next month of its director, the findings of its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks.
Fire at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel injures nine, causes panic
Islamabad, Feb 26: A fire broke out at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel Thursday afternoon, injuring nine people, causing panic in the city and bringing back harrowing memories of a terror attack there barely five months ago that killed over 50 people.
Sharif brothers barred from polls, accuse Zardari of dirty tricks
Islamabad, Feb 25: Pakistan teetered on the brink of political crisis Wednesday after the Supreme Court barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from contesting the polls and also declared null and void the election of his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The verdict led to the fall of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in the country's most politically consequential province.
Zardari offered business deal: Nawaz Sharif
Islamabad, Feb 25: Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday accused President Asif Ali Zardari of offering him and his brother a "business deal" in return for letting the duo off in an election disqualification case.
US military role in Pakistan no secret: Pentagon
Washington, Feb 24: The US Defence Department confirmed that it has a team of military advisers training the Pakistani army in counter-insurgency operations but said the programme has been openly discussed for months, rejecting a newspaper report suggesting it was a "secret" project.
Pakistan sees "convergence of interests" with US
Washington, Feb 25: Citing a "convergence of interests" between Washington and Islamabad and a "willingness to work together," Pakistan has expressed the hope that Obama administration's regional approach will help root out extremism within its borders.
Halt attacks on Pakistani forces: Mullah Omar tells Taliban
Islamabad, Feb 24: Taliban leader Mullah Omar has asked Pakistani militants to halt attacks on Pakistani forces, media reports said Tuesday.
Taliban announces indefinite ceasefire in Swat
Islamabad, Feb 24: The Taliban Tuesday declared an indefinite ceasefire in Pakistan's restive Swat region where Islamabad has allowed the militant group to impose Shariat (Islamic law).
Pakistan to abolish National Security Council
Islamabad, Feb 24 (Xinhua): Pakistan's Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani Tuesday said that his government would abolish the country's National Security Council (NSC).
Pakistan urgently needs $4-5 bn, says US senator
Washington, Feb 25: The US and Europe must give Pakistan $4-5 billion in urgent aid or risk seeing the nuclear-armed country slip into chaos, two leading US foreign policy voices warned Tuesday.
Security forces kill 10 militants in Pakistan's Khyber area
Islamabad, Feb 24 (DPA): Pakistani security officials Monday claimed to have killed 10 militants in the country's restive tribal district along the Afghan border.
Taliban to review Pakistani government's truce in Swat
Islamabad, Feb 22 (DPA): A Pakistani government official claimed that a "permanent ceasefire" was reached with militants in the troubled Swat valley, but the Taliban said their Shura council would decide once their own 10-day truce ends next week, media reports said Sunday.
'Rival Taliban leaders unite as US widens Pakistan attacks'
Islamabad, Feb 21 (DPA): Pakistan's top three Taliban commanders have set aside their rivalries and decided to cooperate as the US expands its covert drone attacks against militants on Pakistani soil, a media report said Saturday.
Top official abducted in Pakistan's Swat Valley
Mingora (Pakistan), Feb 22: Suspected Taliban militants Sunday abducted a top government administrator and six guards in Pakistan's Swat Valley, officials said.
Taliban agrees to 'permanent ceasefire' in Swat
Islamabad, Feb 21: In what is seen as a major breakthrough, the Pakistani Taliban Saturday agreed to a "permanent ceasefire" in the country's restive northwestern Swat Valley, reports from the area said.
Special team to probe Pakistan journalist's killing
Islamabad, Feb 21: A special police team has been formed to probe the killing of Pakistani journalist Musa Khankhel while he was reporting on a peace deal brokered with the Taliban in the restive Swat Valley.
Obama widens missile strikes inside Pakistan: NYT
New York, Feb 21: The Obama administration has expanded the covert war run by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) inside Pakistan by attacking a militant network seeking to topple the Pakistani government, the New York Times reported Saturday.
Zardari discusses agriculture, hydropower in China
Beijing, Feb 21: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari visited central China's Hubei province Saturday for talks on cooperation in agriculture, hydropower and trade.
Pakistani troops kill 25 militants, NATO supply tanker bombed
Islamabad, Feb 21 (DPA): Pakistani security forces have killed 25 militants in overnight clashes as a separate roadside bomb attack Saturday on a NATO oil tanker left one dead in a tribal region, officials said.
Suicide blast kills four in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad, Feb 21 (Xinhua): At least four people were killed Saturday in a suicide car bomb attack in Pakistan's northwestern city of Dera Ismail Khan.
Extremists in Pakistan pose direct threat to US, others: Hillary Clinton
Washington, Feb 18 (IANS): Extremists in Pakistan pose a "direct threat" to Pakistan, the US and other nations in and outside the region, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, even as Islamabad struck a new peace deal with the Taliban by agreeing to enforce Islamic law in its Swat valley.
US adding 17,000 troops to fight Taliban in Pakistan safe-haven
Washington, Feb 18: President Barack Obama has approved adding some 17,000 US troops to its forces in Afghanistan to fight a resurgent Taliban saying "the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention and swift action."
Pakistani journalist Mosa Khankhel killed in Swat
Islamabad, Feb 18: Pakistani journalist Mosa Khankhel, a correspondent for Geo TV and The News, died with his boots on as he headed for Swat in the country's restive northwest to report on peace talks between a radical cleric and his son-in-law who heads the Taliban that controls the area.
Pakistan speaks in two voices on Kasab
Islamabad, Feb 18: Pakistan Wednesday appeared to be speaking in two voices on Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the Mumbai mayhem, with a law officer asking India to hand him over and the foreign ministry saying no formal request had been made.
US using Pakistan airbase for drone attacks on Pakistanis: report
London, Feb 18: Pakistan is allowing the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to secretly use an airbase in southern Pakistan to launch attacks on its own militants, the Times reported Wednesday.
Taliban celebrate imposition of Shariat in Pakistan's northwest
Islamabad, Feb 17: Hundreds of armed Taliban fighters Tuesday poured into the Swat valley to celebrate the imposition of Shariat laws in parts of Pakistan's troubled northwest, even as the federal government said signing the deal that led to the imposition of hardline Islamic law was not a sign of the state's weakness.
India should take Pakistan's Mumbai probe queries seriously: Minister
Multan (Pakistan), Feb 16: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that India should take this country's questions seriously, otherwise it would be difficult to make further progress in investigations regarding the Mumbai terror attack, Online reported.
Pakistan army to hold fire in Swat: Official
Islamabad, Feb 17: Pakistan's army Tuesday decided to hold fire and respect an agreement signed between the government and militants to enforce Islamic law in the violence-hit Swat valley, a media report said.
'Osama may be hiding in Pakistan'
Washington, Feb 17: Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the most wanted terrorist in the world, is likely to be hiding in a walled compound in a Pakistani border town, according to a satellite-aided geographic analysis released Tuesday.
Islamist leader to talk with Taliban over peace in Swat
Islamabad, Feb 17: Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the chief of a banned Islamist group that entered into a deal with the government to implement Sharia laws, will hold talks with the Taliban for restoration of peace in Pakistan's Swat Valley, a media report said Tuesday.
Bomb blast kills six in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad, Feb 17 (Xinhua): At least six people were killed and 13 others injured Tuesday in a bomb blast in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, a TV report said.
'Shariat deal proof of Pakistan military's defeat'
Islamabad, Feb 17: A deal to enforce Shariat laws in parts of Pakistan's restive northwest is proof of the military's defeat against Taliban militants operating in the area and has "implications" for other parts of the country, an editorial in a leading English daily said Tuesday.
Pakistan fighting for survival against Taliban: Zardari
Islamabad, Feb 14: Saying the Taliban held "huge amounts of land", President Asif Ali Zardari has said the militia may have overrun Islamabad but for the army which he said was fighting for Pakistan's survival.
Taliban announce 10-day ceasefire in Pakistan
Islamabad, Feb 15 (Xinhua): Taliban in Pakistan's insurgency-hit Swat Valley Sunday announced a 10-day ceasefire to facilitate negotiations between the regional government and an Islamic group, media reports said.
Pakistan's Mumbai terror suspects sent to 14-day remand
Islamabad, Feb 15: Six suspects, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, allegedly involved in the Mumbai terror attacks were sent to 14-day remand by a court here, Geo TV reported Sunday.
Suspected US drone attack kills 30 in Pakistan
Islamabad, Feb 14 (DPA): A suspected US drone Saturday fired two missiles on a militant hideout in Pakistan's northwestern restive tribal region, killing at least 30 people, an intelligence official said.
Change tactics to fight Taliban: Dawn
Islamabad, Feb 15: A leading Pakistani newspaper Sunday urged the government to continue its war against the Taliban but called for a change in tactics to end civilian casualties.
Pakistan's response an important first step: US
New Delhi, Feb 13: Terming Pakistan's admission that part of the Mumbai attack conspiracy was hatched on its soil as "a very important first step", US Ambassador to India David Mulford Friday said the US will adopt a "watch and help" policy.
Pakistan needs to eliminate its terror outfits: US
Washington, Feb 13: Unless Pakistan takes sustained, concrete, meaningful steps to allay Indian concerns about Islamabad's support to anti-Indian militant groups, efforts to improve relations between the two countries could unravel, the US has warned.
Pakistan has no tie-up with US over drone attacks: Musharraf
Islamabad, Feb 15: Former president Pervez Musharraf has said that his government had not inked any agreement with the US over drone attacks on Pakistan, Online reported.
Mumbai suspect yet to receive charges: Pakistani lawyer
Islamabad, Feb 14: Pakistan's efforts to prosecute its nationals allegedly involved in the Mumbai attacks have been called into question with the lawyer of one of the six men arrested saying Saturday he was yet to receive a copy of the charges.
Pakistan will never compromise on Kashmir: Sherry Rehman
Islamabad, Feb 13: Kashmir still stands out as the core issue for Pakistan though it has cooperated regarding the Mumbai terror attack investigation, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman has said.
Fate of UN hostage in Pakistan hangs in balance
Islamabad, Feb 14 (DPA): The Pakistani government Saturday dismissed the demands of the captors of a UN official as unrealistic but expressed willingness to negotiate with them.
Pakistani Mumbai suspects to be tried in camera
Islamabad, Feb 13: The six men arrested for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks would be tried in camera at the Adiala Central Jail in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, a media report Friday said.
Pakistan to ask IMF for additional loan of $4.5 bn
Islamabad, Feb 13 (DPA): Pakistan is to ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to raise its approved loan of $7.6 billion to $12.1 billion during talks with the organization opening in Dubai on Saturday, a Pakistani official said on Friday.
Obama, Pakistani president discuss terrorism
Washington, Feb 12 (DPA): US President Barack Obama has spoken with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari about the effort between the two countries to combat terrorism.
'Pakistan close to cracking Mumbai conspiracy'
Islamabad, Feb 12: Pakistan is close to cracking the conspiracy behind the Mumbai terror attacks, Interior Minister Rehman Malik indicated Thursday, urging India to help it in the process.
LeT's Lakhvi planned Mumbai carnage: Pakistani minister
Islamabad, Feb 12: Part of the Mumbai conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan and a case has been registered to prosecute those responsible, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Thursday adding that Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi of the Lashkar-e-Taiba had planned the Mumbai attacks.
US does not want A. Q. Khan's nuclear black market up again
Washington, Feb 12: As US does not want to see notorious Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan's nuclear black market up and running again, its special representative Richard Holbrooke has raised the issue of his release with Islamabad.
Pakistan must take responsibility for fighting terrorists: Gordon Brown
London, Feb 12 (IANS): British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Thursday the continued presence of Al Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan requires Islamabad to take primary responsibility for fighting them.
'Pakistan must shut down terror networks'
Islamabad, Feb 11: More than just taking action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage, Pakistan must shut down the terror networks operating in this country, an editorial in a leading English daily said Wednesday, while another urged India to stop the blame game and take the investigations to their logical conclusion.
Pakistan tells US it will control A.Q. Khan's movement
Islamabad, Feb 10: Pakistan has assured the US it would restrict the movements of rogue nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan after Washington voiced concerns that his release from house arrest could lead to a revival of his illegal proliferation network.
Mumbai didn't figure in Holbrooke-Qureshi talks, says Pakistan
Islamabad/New Delhi, Feb 10: The Mumbai terror attacks did not figure in the discussions between visiting US special envoy Richard Holbrooke and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, even as New Delhi asked Islamabad for a direct response on its terror dossier.
Richard Holbrooke meets Pakistani leaders
Islamabad, Feb 10: Richard Holbrooke, the US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, met Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi here Tuesday, Geo TV reported.
Pakistani army chief Kayani to visit US
Islamabad, Feb 10: Pakistani Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will visit the US later this month at a time when the Obama administration is reviewing Washington's policy towards his country and neighbouring Afghanistan.
Pakistan, US to restore 'moral fibre' of terror war: Qureshi
Islamabad, Feb 10: Pakistan and the US will restore the "moral fibre that was lacking" in the global war against terror, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Tuesday.
Pakistani government may appeal against A.Q. Khan's release
Islamabad, Feb 9: Bowing to international pressure, the Pakistani government may appeal against the release of A.Q. Khan, the scientist who mentored the country's nuclear programme and who was accused of running an illegal proliferation network.
Pakistani cabinet's defence panel discusses Mumbai report
Islamabad, Feb 9: The Pakistani cabinet's defence coordination committee Monday discussed a report on the Mumbai attacks but it was not immediately clear when this would be shared with India.
US to raise A Q Khan's release issue with Pakistan
Washington, Feb 10: Expressing disappointment at the release of Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan accused of selling nuclear secrets in the black market, the US says its special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke would raise the issue with Islamabad.
Pakistan must punish perpetrators of Mumbai terror: US experts
Washington, Feb 10 (IANS): Pakistan must punish those involved in the Mumbai massacre while undercutting extremist propaganda that lays the groundwork for such incidents, say two US experts, even while advising India to address the shortfalls in its homeland security.
Pressurise Pakistan to prosecute Mumbai perpetrators: Britain
Bangalore, Feb 10: Holding that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group was responsible for the Mumbai carnage, Britain Tuesday called for stepping up pressure on Islamabad to prosecute the perpetrators of the attacks, saying it needed to do more to bring the guilty to justice.
Pakistan 'scares' Obama
London, Feb 9: Pakistan is the one country that really "scares" Barack Obama, according to the US President's aides, a newspaper reported Monday.
Pakistani militants release video of Pole's beheading
Islamabad, Feb 9 (DPA): Pakistani militants Sunday released what appeared to be video footage of a Polish engineer's beheading, local media reported.
'Nuke scientist A.Q. Khan's release could be conditional'
Islamabad, Feb 7: The release from house arrest of Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, accused of running an illegal proliferation network, could be conditional since a portion of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order freeing him has been kept secret. "The petitioner (Dr A.Q. Khan) is declared a free citizen and writ petition is disposed of in accordance with 'Annexure-A', contents of which shall not be issued to the press or made public in any manner as requested by both sides," said a one-page order released by IHC Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam after a hearing in his chamber Friday.
Won't let non-state actors dictate agenda: Zardari
Islamabad/New Delhi, Feb 7: Once again blaming non-state actors for the Mumbai mayhem, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said they would not be permitted to dictate their agenda and rewrite the sub-continent's foreign policy. "He said that non state actors responsible for the Mumbai blasts wanted to dictate their own agenda and rewrite the foreign policies of Pakistan and India which would not be permitted," Dawn News channel reported Saturday.
Pakistani investigators ready Mumbai attack report for PM Gilani
Islamabad/New Delhi, Feb 7: Pakistani investigators are set to forward to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani their report of the probe into the Mumbai terror carnage that India blames on elements operating from Pakistan, reports in Islamabad said Saturday. According to the reports, Pakistan's law and interior ministries had vetted the results of the probe by the Federal Investigation Agency on the basis of a dossier India had provided Jan 5 pointing to the involvement of the Laskher-e-Taiba terror group in the Mumabi attacks.
A.Q. Khan's network successfully broken: Pakistan government
Islamabad, Feb 7: Describing nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan as "history", Pakistan said Saturday the network he had established for illegally proliferating the country's secrets had been "successfully broken". "We have successfully broken the network that he had set up and today he has no say and has no access to any of the sensitive areas of Pakistan," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters here.
A.Q. Khan released under 'agreement': minister
Gujrat (Pakistan), Feb 8: Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan has been released from house arrest under an agreement with the government, Federal Minister for Defence Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar has said. Mukhtar was speaking to a TV channel Saturday but he did not give details of the agreement or when it was reached, Online reported.
Meet demands or we would kill UN official: Baloch group
Quetta, Feb 8: A hitherto unknown organisation, which has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of UN official John Solecki, Saturday threatened that if their demands were not met they would kill him, Pakistan's Online reported. Solecki, an American citizen, was kidnapped and his driver was shot dead after his vehicle was ambushed Feb 2, a media report said Sunday.
46 militants killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Feb 6 (DPA): Pakistani troops killed 46 militants Friday after an attack on a truck carrying supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan left five people injured in the country's tribal region, officials said. Four military helicopter gunships targeted a convoy of militants from the extremist organisation Lashkar-e-Islam near Chapari Feroz Khel area of Khyber district that borders Afghanistan.
Pakistan spots Bangladesh link in Mumbai attack
Islamabad, Feb 5: The banned Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HuJI), which operates out of Bangladesh, may have played a role in the Mumbai terror strike, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stated.
Help bring Mumbai attackers to justice, Ban tells Pakistan
Islamabad, Feb 5: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged Pakistan to cooperate with India in bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack to justice.
UN commission to probe Benazir assassination: Ban Ki-moon
Islamabad, Feb 5: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has announced an independent inquiry commission to investigate the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Resolve Kashmir dispute based on Kashmiris' views: Zardari
Islamabad, Feb 5 (Xinhua): Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said Thursday that Pakistan would continue to pursue a resolution of the Kashmir dispute based on the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Gilani acquitted of corruption charges
Islamabad, Feb 4: The Islamabad High Court Wednesday acquitted Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in two corruption cases going back to the 1990s, saying the evidence against him was insufficient.
Pakistan calls high-level meeting to discuss Mumbai attacks' probe
Islamabad/New Delhi, Feb 3: The Pakistan foreign office Tuesday evening called a high-level meeting to discuss the findings of the probe into the Mumbai carnage, amid reports that it could charge 125 lower-rung terror suspects but let the top guns off.
30 security personnel abducted, released in Pakistan's Swat
Islamabad, Feb 4: Islamist militants abducted 23 paramilitary troopers and seven policemen in Pakistan's restive Swat Valley overnight but released them later, media reports said Wednesday.
Pakistan to brief envoy to India on Mumbai probe
Islamabad, Feb 3: Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi Shahid Malik has been summoned here for a briefing on Islamabad's probe into the Mumbai terror attacks that India has blamed on elements operating from this country.
Pakistani troops kill up to 40 militants in Swat
Islamabad, Feb 3 (DPA): Up to 40 Islamic militants were killed in overnight clashes between the rebels and government forces in Pakistan's restive Swat valley, an official said Tuesday.
Pakistani security panel draws up anti-terror roadmap
Islamabad, Feb 3: A parliamentary panel on security is drawing up an anti-terror roadmap, particularly for Pakistan's restive northwest, but has cautioned against expecting quick-fix solutions.
Pakistani investigators seeking clues on abducted UN official
Islamabad, Feb 3 (DPA): Pakistani investigators were examining evidence Tuesday connected to the kidnapping of a UN official in the southwestern province of Balochistan the previous day.
We will act on information on Mumbai terror: Gilani aide
Islamabad, Jan 15: Pakistan will act on the information provided by India on the Mumbai terror attack, a key aide to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Thursday, adding action has been taken against Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) with five camps being closed down.
US official alerted me 'threat call' from India was fake: Sacked NSA
Islamabad, Jan 15 (IANS): Former National Security Adviser Maj Gen (retired) Mehmood Ali Durrani has said that he was first in the Pakistani government to be alerted by a US official about the "threatening call" from Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to President Asif Ali Zardari being a fake.
'Lashker commander Lakhvi furious with JuD'
Islamabad, Jan 15: Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the chief operational commander of the Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group that India blames for the Mumbai mayhem, "is furious at the Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) leadership's decision to publicly disown him in his hour of trial instead of trying to bail him out", a media report said Thursday.
Nawaz Sharif pitches for Gilani in tussle with Zardari
Islamabad, Jan 14: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has received support from an unexpected quarter in his barely veiled power struggle with President Asif Ali Zardari.
Pakistan decides against appointing NSA
Islamabad, Jan 15: Pakistan has decided against appointing a national security adviser (NSA) after the previous incumbent Mahmud Ali Durrani was sacked for owning up to the nationality of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the Mumbai terror attack.
Parliament to decide powers of president, prime minister: Gilani
Islamabad, Jan 14: Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the parliament will decide on the balance of power between the president and premier, GEO TV reported.
Pakistan closes major NATO supply route through Khyber Pass
Islamabad, Jan 14 (DPA): Pakistan Wednesday temporarily closed a vital supply route for Western troops in landlocked Afghanistan, officials said.
This is the time to work for peace, Sharif tells India, Pakistan
Islamabad, Jan 13 (IANS): Former Pakistan prime minister and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif Tuesday called upon the governments of Pakistan and India to jointly probe the Mumbai attacks and resume the peace process.
Gilani reciprocates Manmohan's New Year greetings
Islamabad, Jan 15: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has thanked his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh for his New Year greetings and reiterated Islamabad's desire for friendly sub-continental ties.
Gilani 'doesn't mind' India's threatening statements
Islamabad, Jan 13: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Tuesday that he "doesn't mind" the statements emanating from India because the leadership was under pressure from the public as well as from political parties.
Biden discusses Mumbai attacks with Zardari: NYT
Washington, Jan 10: US Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden has discussed the Mumbai terror attacks blamed on Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad, the New York Times reported Saturday.
India should not talk of surgical strikes: Musharraf
Islamabad, Jan 10: India should not talk of "surgical strikes" on Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attack, as forces were ready to "retaliate to any aggression", former president Pervez Musharraf said Saturday.
As Zardari-Gilani rift widens, US says restore Durrani as NSA
Islamabad, Jan 9 (IANS): The US has asked Pakistan to withdraw the sacking orders of Mahmood Durrani as national security advisor, a move that laid bare the widening gulf between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the lack of coherence in tackling crucial issues like the Mumbai attack probe.
Biden in Pakistan, meets Zardari
Islamabad, Jan 9: US Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived here Friday at the start of his South Asian tour, less than two weeks before he takes office with President-elect Barack Obama.
Pakistan-India border situation fragile: Gilani
Islamabad, Jan 9: Terming the situation on the Pakistan-India border as "fragile" in the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday said this country wants to resolve all issues through dialogue and does not want any escalation in tension.
Four blasts rock Lahore, seven injured
Islamabad, Jan 9: At least seven people were injured as four bombs went off in quick succession in Lahore's busy Mall Road area Friday evening, police and witnesses said.
Zardari, Gilani discuss Durrani's dismissal
Islamabad, Jan 9: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday evening during which they discussed the dismissal of Mahmud Ali Durrani as national security advisor, news reports said.
Pakistan needs to do more: Boucher
New Delhi, Jan 8: A day after Pakistan accepted the nationality of the lone Mumbai attacker in Indian custody, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Richard Boucher stepped up pressure on Islamabad, saying that the US was determined to find out the truth behind the Mumbai carnage.
Durrani defends himself on Kasab identity disclosure
Islamabad, Jan 8 (IANS): Saying he had done no wrong, sacked National Security Advisor (NSA) Mahmud Ali Durrani Thursday resolutely defended his move admitting that Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the Mumbai mayhem, is a Pakistani citizen, even as the issue has served to bring into the open the deep fissures within the country's top political leadership.
Pakistan's political scenario hots up ahead of parliament session
Islamabad, Jan 8: Despite sub-continental tensions in the wake of the Mumbai terror carnage, the political scenario in Pakistan is heating up ahead of the parliament session beginning Monday.
Stabilising Pakistan a key challenge for Obama: Bush aide
Washington, Jan 8: Stability and success in the war on terror in Pakistan will be a key challenge for the Obama administration to resolve the Afghanistan problem and keep Pakistan-India relations on a positive footing, according to a top aide of President George W. Bush.
Give Pakistan space to act against terrorism, says Pakistani media
Islamabad, Jan 7: A day after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Mumbai attack had the support of Pakistani "official agencies", several leading newspapers Wednesday responded with anger. India should give Pakistan "space" to act against terrorism, one editorial said while another contended that New Delhi seemed interested more in "maligning Pakistan internationally".
Pakistan air chief briefs Zardari on preparedness
Islamabad, Jan 6: Pakistan's Air Force (PAF) chief Tuesday briefed President Asif Ali Zardari on the operational preparedness of the country's air force in case of any aggression.
Pakistan to form committee to probe Mumbai evidence
Islamabad, Jan 6: Pakistan would set up a "joint investigative committee" to probe the pieces of evidence provided by New Delhi to Islamabad on the Mumbai terror attacks, a media report said Tuesday.
Pakistani militants admit role in Mumbai attacks: NYT
Washington, Jan 1: Pakistani authorities have obtained confessions from members of the Pakistani militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba that they were involved in the Nov 26 Mumbai terrorist attacks, the New York Times reported Thursday citing a Pakistani official.
Pakistan claims significant developments in Mumbai probe
Islamabad, Jan 2 (DPA): Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Thursday that his country had made significant developments in the probe into the Mumbai terrorist attacks, which left more than 170 people dead and over 300 injured.
FBI team visits Kasab's Faridkot hometown
Islamabad, Jan 1: A five-member FBI team has visited Faridkot, the ancestral hometown Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai terror attacks, a media report Thursday said.
US drone attack kills four Al Qaeda militants in Pakistan
Islamabad, Jan 1 (DPA): Four Al Qaeda militants were killed and several others injured Thursday in a suspected US drone attack in northwestern Pakistan, an official and residents said.
Bhutto's killers will be exposed soon: Pakistani minister
Karachi, Jan 1: Pakistan's Information Minister Sherry Rehman has said the killers of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto will be exposed soon, the Online news agency reported.
Terror attacks increased by 50 percent in Pakistan: NGO
Islamabad, Jan 2 (IANS): Pakistan's leading welfare organisation, the Edhi Foundation, has termed 2008 as a year of suicides and suicidal attacks during which terrorist attacks increased by 50 percent as compared to 2007.
Pakistan keen to help in 26/11 probe: minister
Islamabad, Jan 1: Pakistan Thursday said it wants to help India "wholeheartedly" in the probe into the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but would not hand over the suspects named by New Delhi.
In Kasab's village, no proof he is Pakistani: Report
Islamabad, Jan 1: A FBI team has visited the home village of Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the Mumbai carnage, but has failed to find conclusive evidence of him being a Pakistani, Online news agency reported.
Pakistani gunships pound militants to secure NATO supply routes
Islamabad, Dec 31 (DPA): Pakistani helicopter gunships Wednesday pounded militant hideouts in the country's northwest as tanks rumbled in to secure the vital supply link for Western troops in landlocked Afghanistan.
Pakistani army chief discusses security with Zardari, PM
Islamabad, Dec 31: Top government officials on the last day of year Wednesday continued discussions on relations with India after the Mumbai attacks amid a report in the US media that top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zarar Shah has confessed to the group's involvement in the Nov 26-29 mayhem in India's commercial capital.
Pakistan's probe finds links to Mumbai attacks: WSJ
Islamabad, Dec 31: Pakistan's investigation of the Mumbai terror strikes has begun to show "substantive links" between the 10 attackers and a militant group its powerful spy agency "spent years supporting", the Wall Street Journal said Wednesday, quoting people with knowledge of the probe.
Has Pakistan's Swat fallen to Taliban?
Islamabad, Dec 27: Has Swat, the principal city of the restive South Waziristan region in Pakistan's northwest, fallen to the Taliban? It would seem so from an editorial in a leading English daily Saturday.
Pakistan has been double-dealing US for years: Former CIA analyst
Washington, Dec 28: For years Pakistan was "double dealing" the US on the war on terror , says a former CIA analyst, adding it will not be easy to break the Pakistani intelligence agencies' deep ties with Islamist groups.
A year on, Bhutto killing unresolved
Islamabad, Dec 25 (IANS): The mystery of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination remains unresolved as her first death anniversary approaches, though police and Scotland Yard experts say she died after her head hit the sunroof lever of her costly and bomb proof Toyota Land Cruiser.
Tens of thousands mark Bhutto assassination anniversary
Garhi Khuda Bakhsh (Pakistan), Dec 27 (DPA): Tens of thousands of Pakistanis Saturday assembled in the home town of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto on the eve of the first anniversary of her assassination.
Zardari suppressing Benazir probe: PPP leaders
London, Dec 27: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari may be suppressing the investigation into the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto, a British newspaper reported Saturday quoting members of his own ruling party.
Pakistan tones down war rhetoric
Islamabad, Dec 27: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Saturday said that Pakistan doesn't want war with India and that "we will only react" if a conflict is imposed on us.
Polling station blast kills 11 in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 28 (Xinhua): At least 11 people were killed when an explosive device detonated inside a polling station in northwest Pakistan during polling for an assembly by-election, TV channels reported.
We have non-state actors, says Zardari
Islamabad, Dec 27: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said Saturday that his country did have "non-state actors", a term he used to describe terrorists who ravaged Mumbai last month.
Amidst war threats, Pakistan may redeploy troops from Afghan border
Islamabad, Dec 26 (IANS): Pakistan has told the US and its allies in the war on terror that it will have to move its forces from the western to the eastern borders as the "threats of attack by India still persist", a senior government official said Friday.
Pro-Taliban group claims responsibility for Lahore blast
Islamabad, Dec 26: A hitherto unknown pro-Taliban group called Ansar Wa Mohajir has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's bomb explosion in Lahore, for which an alleged Indian "spy" was earlier arrested and search launched for three others, media reports said.
No threat of India-Pakistan war: Musharraf
Lahore, Dec 26: Former president Pervez Musharraf said Friday that there were no chances of a Pakistan-India war, adding that both countries should work for peace.
Gilani again raises spectre of war
Islamabad, Dec 26: Hours after ruling out the possibility of a war in the wake of Mumbai terror strikes, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani turned belligerent on the issue, saying the country was prepared to "respond in a befitting manner" if attacked.
Pakistan moves troops to Indian border
Islamabad, Dec 26: Pakistan has deployed troops to protect "vital points" along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and the international border with India, a media report said Friday.
India would have attacked but for Pakistani nukes: Shahbaz Sharif
Islamabad, Dec 25: India would have launched a war in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks but for the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif asserted Thursday.
'Pakistan will not tolerate surgical strike by India'
Islamabad, Dec 25 (Xinhua): Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said he hoped India would not commit the mistake of carrying out surgical strikes in Pakistan.
650 kg of explosives recovered near Islamabad
Islamabad, Dec 26: A huge cache of 650 kg of explosive material has been recovered from a village near here, with the authorities saying they had foiled a plot to cause widespread destruction in the Pakistani capital and the twin city of Rawalpindi.
More killed in Karachi than Mumbai: Gilani
Islamabad, Dec 25: More people were killed in the terror attack on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's convoy on her return home from exile last October than were killed in the Mumbai carnage, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Thursday.
Rumours of war create panic in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 22 (IANS): The Pakistan Air Force has increased its vigilance flights creating panic and sparking war rumours, as Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar Chaudhry Monday warned that the country had the potential and right to defend itself if forced to war.
Pakistan able to defend if attacked: foreign minister
Islamabad, Dec 21 (Xinhua): Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Sunday said his country had the right to defend itself if driven to war.
Militant violence leaves 15 dead in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 21 (DPA): At least 15 people were killed in a rocket attack, executions carried out by suspected Taliban militants, and bombardment by warplanes in northwest Pakistan, officials and media reports said Sunday.
Two alleged US spies killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 21 (Xinhua): Suspected militants Sunday killed two men accused of spying for the US in Pakistan's tribal region of North Waziristan, officials and tribesmen said.
Pessimism growing among Pakistanis: poll
Islamabad, Dec 20: Most Pakistanis have a dim view of their country's future and have no faith in the present government, an opinion poll says.
Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Pakistan alive
Tehran, Dec 21 (Xinhua): The Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Pakistan in mid-November is alive and in good health, Iran's satellite television channel Press TV reported Sunday.
Gilani reiterates offer to cooperate in Mumbai probe
Islamabad, Dec 17 (IANS): Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Wednesday reiterated his government's offer to cooperate with India in investigating the Mumbai attacks and to resume early the peace dialogue with India.
Pakistan won't tolerate aggression by anyone: Nawaz Sharif
Islamabad, Dec 17: Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said that his country would not "tolerate any aggression by anyone", but reiterated that his party backed the government's offer of a joint India-Pakistan probe into the Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistani police uncover plot to kill Musharraf: report
Islamabad, Dec 18 (DPA): Pakistani police have unearthed a plot to assassinate ex-president Pervez Musharraf and the revelation forced the former strongman to flee the country, a media report said Thursday.
Pakistan Taliban insurgents release video of five beheaded 'spies'
Islamabad, Dec 18: Pakistan's Taliban insurgents have released a video of five beheaded men, including soldiers, they accused of spying on Al Qaeda, IRNA reported Wednesday.
Pakistan rejects Britain's request to question Mumbai terror suspects
Islamabad, Dec 16 (Xinhua): Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has rejected a request from his British counterpart Gordon Brown to allow Britain to question suspects arrested in connection with last month's Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistan will be defended at all costs, says Gilani
Islamabad, Dec 15: Striking a tough posture, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms, but if a war is "imposed on Pakistan" the country would be defended "at all costs".
JuD's religious schools will not be closed: Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 15 (IANS): Religious schools run by the Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), proscribed by the UN Security Council last week and facing a crackdown, will not be closed, Pakistani authorities maintained Monday even as President Asif Ali Zaradari will Tuesday meet coalition partners to discuss the "tense situation" in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Pakistani truckers halt supplies to NATO forces
Islamabad, Dec 15 (DPA): Pakistani truck drivers have decided to stop transporting supplies to US and Nato forces in Afghanistan following a string of attacks by Taliban militants, a media report said Monday.
Pakistan yet to formally ban Jamat-ud-Dawa
Islamabad, Dec 14: Pakistan is yet to formally ban the Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which the UN Security Council has labelled a terrorist organization in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, even as more than 100 of its offices around the country have been sealed and over 50 of its leaders have been arrested.
JuD lawyers to appeal in UN, move Pakistani courts
Islamabad, Dec 15 (IANS): The Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) says it will appeal in the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee against restrictions on its head Hafiz Muhammad Sayeed and also move Pakistani courts to protest the crackdown on its leaders and the sealing of its offices.
No evidence of Jamaat hand in acts of violence: Pakistan minister
Islamabad, Dec 14: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said there was no evidence that the newly-banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front for the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was engaged in any acts of violence, the Dawn reported Sunday.
Pakistan will not hand over suspects to India: Gilani
Islamabad, Dec 13: Reiterating that his government will not hand over any terror suspect to India, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Saturday said he had not received any evidence of any Pakistani's involvement in the Mumbai carnage.
Militants torch Afghanistan-based coalition forces' trucks in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 13 (Xinhua): Militants in northwestern Pakistan early Saturday torched 25 trucks transporting supplies for the Afghanistan-based coalition forces.
Class conflict, religion fuelling jehadis in Pakistan'
Islamabad, Dec 13: Class conflict and religion are in equal measure fuelling the jehadi movement in Pakistan, and the sooner the government moves against this the better, editorials in three leading English dailies said Saturday.
Countrywide crackdown on Jamaat-ud-Dawah offices continues
Islamabad, Dec 12: Pakistani authorities continued their countrywide crackdown on the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, a front organisation for the outlawed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that is blamed by India for the Mumbai attacks, a day after it was banned by the government. Several of its offices, including in Punjab, were sealed and many people taken into custody.
Pakistan should go an extra mile to combat terrorism: Nawaz Sharif
New Delhi, Dec 12: If Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive in Mumbai, was indeed from Pakistan then it was time for Pakistan to take "very serious action" and let India know, says former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Live up to commitment to battle terror: Pakistani editorial
Islamabad, Dec 12: Pakistan must live up to its commitment to stamping out terror groups operating from the country, an editorial of a leading English daily of the country said Friday, even as another said "mixed signals continue to emanate from Islamabad" on the issue.
Pakistan shuts down Jamaat-ud-Dawa offices after UN ban
Islamabad, Dec 11: The Pakistani government moved Thursday to close down the offices of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front organisation for the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is blamed by India for the attacks in Mumbai, after the UN declared it a terrorist group.
US awaits shift in Pakistan's dealings with Lashkar
Washington, Dec 11 (IANS): Describing action taken so far by Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks as "serious and important steps", US has said it's awaiting a shift in Islamabad's way of dealing with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Safe havens in Pakistan played role in Mumbai attack: US
Washington, Dec 11: Safe havens in Pakistan played a role in allowing the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group to plan and practise for the attack on India's financial capital of Mumbai, says the head of the US defence forces.
'Pakistan being put through degrading routine'
Islamabad, Dec 12: Pakistan is being put through a "degrading routine" in the aftermath of the Mumbai blasts but is left with little choice as it cannot "stand up" to the US and India, a noted political commentator said Friday.
Terrorist camps exist but no action in Pakistan, says Burney
Chandigarh, Dec 11: Pakistani human rights activist and former minister Ansar Burney Thursday said that terrorist training camps existed inside Pakistan but nobody was taking firm action against them.
Suspected US air raid kills six militants in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 12 (DPA): An overnight airstrike, suspected to be carried out by US forces based in Afghanistan, killed at least six Islamist militants in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal district, officials and local residents said Friday.
Pakistan to send team to India to mend ties
Islamabad, Dec 10: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Wednesday that Pakistan would send a high-level delegation to India to mend ties ruptured by the Mumbai terror mayhem.
Mumbai attack suspects being questioned, says Pakistan PM
Islamabad, Dec 10 (DPA): Pakistan's prime minister Wednesday said the two top leaders of an Islamic militant group that India believes to be responsible for the Nov 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai were being questioned by the police.
Pakistan wasted $10 billion US aid to fight terror: Report
New York, Dec 8: The Bush administration, which is preparing a review of its Afghan policy in the post-Taliban era, is expected to acknowledge that Pakistan "wasted" the $10 billion US aid to root out terrorists from the country, The New York Times has reported.
Militants torch 50 more NATO trucks in Pakistan
Islamabad Dec 8: Another 50 trucks carrying goods for US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan were torched by militants Monday morning, bringing to more than 200 the total number of vehicles in less than 48 hours.
Pakistan a failed state: US Congressman Frank Pallone
Fords (New Jersey), Dec 8 (IANS): Senior US Congressman Frank Pallone has declared that Pakistan is a "failed state" as Islamabad does not have control over its own territories and its land is being used by terrorists to launch attack against other nations, including the US and India.
Calm hand missing at Pakistani helm, says Dawn
Islamabad, Dec 7: The manner in which Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari fell for a "prank" call threatening action by India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks reveals the lack of a calm hand at the helm and calls for urgently reviewing the government's communications procedures, an editorial in a leading daily said Sunday.
Post Mumbai attacks, Pakistani leaders burn the midnight oil
Islamabad, Dec 8: Subcontinental tensions following the Mumbai terror attacks have forced Pakistan's top leadership to burn the midnight oil by working on Sunday and on the Eid holiday Monday.
Mumbai attacks: Pakistan not to send officials till proof provided
Islamabad, Dec 7: Pakistan's civil and military leadership has decided against sending representatives of key institutions, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, to India until New Delhi provides concrete evidence of their involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, Online news agency reported.
Militants torch 150 NATO trucks in Pakistan, kill guard
Islamabad, Dec 7 (DPA): Some 300 heavily-armed rebels attacked two parking bays in north-western Pakistan full of vehicles used by US and NATO contractors for making deliveries to Afghanistan, killing a guard and torching dozens of trucks, the police said Sunday.
Pakistan must 'undo' reputation of inaction, say editorials
Islamabad, Dec 6: Pakistan must "undo" its past reputation of inaction against terrorists, said an editorial in a leading Pakistani daily, while another said that in case "non state actors" were involved in the Mumbai terror strikes, then it is the duty of Islamabad to protect "its position" on the global stage.
Pakistan bomb attack toll rises to 27
Islamabad, Dec 6 (DPA): The toll in a bombing in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar rose to 27 Saturday as rescue workers retrieved more bodies from the rubble, health officials and residents said.
US drone attack kills six in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 6 (DPA): A suspected US pilotless aircraft Friday targeted a militant hideout in Pakistan's restive tribal region along the border with Afghanistan, killing six people, Pakistani intelligence official said.
Pakistan economy to grow by 4.5 percent
Islamabad, Dec 6 (Xinhua): Pakistan's economy during the 2007-2008 fiscal year is expected to grow by 4.5 percent while the inflation rate is to vary between 20 percent and 22 percent.
'Smoking gun' to harm Pakistan-India ties, fear US experts
Islamabad, Nov 29: US anti-terrorism experts have warned that "a smoking gun" in the Mumbai terror attacks could not only derail Pakistan-India talks but also jeopardise Islamabad's ties with Washington.
India should have pondered more before blaming us: Pakistan
New Delhi, Nov 28: Hours after India blamed "some elements in Pakistan" for the terror strikes in Mumbai, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Friday said that India should have "pondered more" before coming to a conclusion.
Pakistan closes ISI political wing
Islamabad, Nov 27: Pakistan has closed the political wing of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Online news agency reported Thursday. "The political wing of ISI has been closed,'' a statement issued by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's office said late Wednesday night.
Global strategy needed to fight terrorism: Zardari
Islamabad, Nov 28: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has warned that terrorism has become a global phenomenon that could be addressed effectively only by concerted international effort, Online news agency reported Friday.
Pakistan has offered joint probe of Mumbai attacks: Nawaz Sharif
Raiwind (Pakistan), Nov 29: Former Pakistani prime minister and head of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan has offered India joint investigation of the Mumbai attacks, Online news agency reported Saturday.
ISI to cooperate with India: Pak NSA
Islamabad, Nov 29: Pakistan's National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani has said that Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) would extend all possible cooperation to India in investigating the Mumbai attacks, Online news agency reported Saturday.
Once brothers in arms, PML-N, PPP now bicker away
Islamabad, Nov 22 (IANS): They were rivals that came together to fight for democracy in Pakistan. But now the country's two most influential parties are busy taking potshots at each other, making for an uneasy alliance in Islamabad.
Gilani says no agreement with US on drone attacks; army practice shoot downs
Islamabad, Nov 23: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday said Pakistan had no agreement with the US to allow its forces to carry out cross-border attacks inside the country's territory.
Pakistani court indicts five over Bhutto assassination
Islamabad, Nov 22 (DPA): An anti-terrorism court Saturday formally indicted five people in connection with the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, media reports said. Bhutto was murdered in a gun-suicide attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, which is adjacent to the capital Islamabad, during an election rally Dec 27 last year.
British Al Qaeda member killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 22 (IANS): Al-Qaeda member Rashid Rauf, who was a British national of Pakistani origin, was among the five people killed in US drone attack early Saturday morning, said an official of the interior ministry.
Pakistan summons US envoy, protests drone attacks
Islamabad, Nov 20: Pakistan Thursday summoned the US ambassador to Islamabad to protest the American drone attacks in the troubled parts of the country and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government has warned the US against such attacks.
Pakistan calls for halt to US spy plane attacks
Islamabad, Nov 20 (Xinhua): Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has urged a halt to missile strikes by US drones inside Pakistani territory.
NATO, Pakistan vow to intensify anti-Taliban cooperation
Brussels, Nov 19 (DPA): NATO and Pakistan agree that winning over the hearts and minds of tribesmen living in the country's lawless border with Afghanistan is crucial to defeating the Taliban, the transatlantic alliance's top military commander said Wednesday.
Six killed in explosion at Pakistan funeral
Islamabad, Nov 21: At least six people were killed and about 25 injured Friday when an explosion ripped through a Shia Muslim funeral in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, officials said.
24 militants killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 20: At least 24 Islamic militants, including Al Qaeda-linked Uzbek fighters, were killed as jets and artillery pounded their hideouts in northwest Pakistan, an intelligence official said Thursday.
US drone attack kills four militants in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 19: At least four Islamic militants were killed Wednesday in a missile strike by a suspected pilotless US aircraft in northwest Pakistan, a Pakistani official said.
Pakistani army chief to attend NATO meeting
Brussels, Nov 18: The US drone attacks inside Pakistan territory will top the agenda of the two-day NATO meeting that begins here Wednesday, EuAsiaNews has reported.
Supplies for US-led forces start moving from Pakistan again
Islamabad, Nov 17 (IANS): Twenty trucks carrying goods for the US-led forces Monday left for Afghanistan from Pakistan's tribal areas though more than 100 trucks were still waiting to move forward after a series of militant attacks, a security official said.
Transmission of two Pakistani channels stopped in Karachi
Islamabad, Nov 17: The transmission of two leading Pakistani news channels was stopped Monday in Karachi and several other cities of Sindh province but no government department has taken responsibility for the closure.
Five soldiers killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
Islamabad, Nov 17 (DPA): Five soldiers were killed Monday in a suicide bombing at an army check post in Pakistan's restive Swat valley, security officials said.
Pakistan bars trucks loaded with NATO supplies
Islamabad, Nov 16: Pakistan has temporarily barred trucks carrying supplies for US and NATO troops in land-locked Afghanistan from using a key route after this week's rebel assault on a convoy, officials said Sunday.
12 killed in US airstrike in Pakistan: officials
Islamabad, Nov 14 (DPA): An airstrike by a US drone aircraft killed 12 people Friday in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region, Pakistani officials said.
American NGO official, driver killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 12 (IANS): An American citizen working for an NGO and his driver were killed in Peshawar Wednesday, police said.
Three killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
Islamabad, Nov 11: At least three people were killed and over 20 injured in a suicide bombing that rocked a sports complex in Pakistan's troubled Peshawar, soon after an athletic event concluded Tuesday evening, sources said.
13 militants killed in Pakistan, NATO supply convoy hijacked
Islamabad, Nov 11 (DPA): At least 13 Islamic militants were killed in clashes with government troops in north-west Pakistan while Taliban gunmen seized a convoy of trucks carrying military vehicles and supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan, security officials said Tuesday.
Pakistan violence leaves 54 dead
Islamabad, Nov 10: At least 54 people, including three soldiers, were killed in a suspected US airstrike and clashes between Islamist militants and government forces in northwest Pakistan, officials and media reports said Sunday.
Kashmir fruit traders to suspend trade across Line of Control
Srinagar, Nov 10: Fruit growers and traders in the Kashmir Valley have decided not to send their consignments across the Line of Control (LoC) Tuesday due to lack of communication, banking arrangements and contact with traders across the border.
US covert military raids authorized in Pakistan, Syria
Washington, Nov 10: A secret order since 2004 has allowed several covert raids against Al Qaeda targets by US special forces into countries including Syria and Pakistan, The New York Times reported Monday on its website.
Pakistan congratulates Obama, sees improved ties
Islamabad, Nov 5 (DPA): Pakistan's president, premier and opposition leaders Wednesday congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama on his watershed win, saying they were looking forward to promoting peace and stability in the region with his cooperation.
Zardari asks US to honour Pakistan's sovereignty
Islamabad, Nov 3 (Xinhua): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari Monday called on the US to respect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and stop drone attacks that raise anti-America sentiments as well as cause outrage and uproar among the people, the Geo TV reported.
Lawyers in Pakistan observe 'Black Day' on emergency anniversary
Rawalpindi, Nov 3 (IANS): Lawyers across Pakistan boycotted courts and held protest demonstrations Monday to mark the first anniversary of the emergency imposed by former president Pervez Musharraf who had sacked 60 judges and banned private television channels and FM radios at one fell swoop.
Eight killed in suicide attack in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 6: At least eight people were killed and 45 others injured in a suicide attack in northwest Pakistan's Bajaur tribal district Thursday, a TV channel reported.
Three security personnel, 13 Taliban killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 4: At least 13 Taliban militants and three security personnel were killed Tuesday in aerial strikes by government forces and attacks by Islamist insurgents in northwest Pakistan, officials and media reports said.
Militants, not India, Pakistan's biggest threat: Obama
Washington, Nov 1: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has said that the US needs to convince Pakistan's "fledgling democratic government" that its "biggest threat" is not India but militants within its own borders.
Suicide attack, airstrikes kill 20 in Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 31 (DPA): At least 20 people, including five policemen and eight Taliban militants, were killed Friday in a suicide bombing and army airstrikes in northwestern Pakistan, officials and media reports said.
Pakistan steps up relief efforts in quake-hit region, toll crosses 300
Islamabad, Oct 31: Pakistani authorities Friday switched their focus from rescue efforts to providing relief aid for thousands of earthquake survivors, who are spending cold nights under the open skies, officials said.
Mortar shell kills 11, air strikes kill 8 in Pakistan
Islamabad, Nov 1 (Xinhua): At least 11 people were killed when a mortar shell landed near a check post in northwestern Pakistan's Swat valley Saturday, state television reported.
UN to provide food to Pakistan quake survivors
Islamabad, Oct 30: The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said Thursday it planned to provide food assistance to nearly 20,000 people left homeless by the deadly earthquake that struck Pakistan's northwestern Balochistan province Wednesday.
Pakistan Army kills 10 militants in Swat Valley
Islamabad, Oct 30 (Xinhua): Pakistani security forces Thursday killed 10 militants and arrested one as military operation continued in the country's northwestern Swat Valley, a military statement said.
160 killed in 6.2 magnitude quake in Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 29 (IANS): At least 160 people were killed and many more injured while hundreds were left homeless after an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude hit Balochistan province in southwest Pakistan early Wednesday, officials said.
Pakistan summons US envoy over airstrikes
Islamabad, Oct 29 (DPA): Pakistan summoned US Ambassador Anne Patterson Wednesday to lodge a protest over recent missile strikes by US drones in the country's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.
Chaudhry is Pakistan's 'constitutional' chief justice: SCBA president
Islamabad, Oct 29: Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was sacked by Pakistan's former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf last November, is the "constitutional" chief justice and would be back in the chair soon, says the Supreme Court Bar Association's (SCBA) newly elected president.
US strikes in Pakistan kill 301 civilians in 10 months
Islamabad, Oct 28: Dozens of cross-border strikes carried out by US forces from Afghanistan into Pakistan's lawless tribal region have killed 301 civilians and wounded more than 240 others so far in 2008, a media report said Tuesday.
US missile strike, blast kill over 30 in Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 27 (DPA): At least 20 people were killed in a missile attack carried out by a suspected US drone, while 10 security personnel and a technician died in a suicide bombing in Pakistan's tribal region, officials said Monday.
Germany pledges more aid to Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 28 (Xinhua): Germany's Foreign Minister Frank Walter said here Tuesday that his country will increase its development assistance to Pakistan to deal with the financial crisis.
10 security men killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
Islamabad, Oct 27 (Xinhua): At least 10 security men were killed in a suicide bombing late Sunday night in Pakistan's tribal belt in the northwest, The Nation newspaper reported Monday.
Over 70 militants killed, 168 foreign militants arrested in Pakistan's northwest
Islamabad, Oct 18 (DPA/Xinhua): At least 60 militants were killed as Pakistani jets and helicopter gunships pounded several suspected Taliban hideouts in northwest Pakistan, officials said. The army claimed that two hideouts were bombarded in Piochar and surrounding areas of restive Swat district in the North West Frontier Province.
Chinese hostages escape Taliban captivity in Pakistan, one recaptured
Peshawar, Oct 17 (DPA): Two Chinese engineers kidnapped by Islamic militants in Pakistan's northwest escaped from captivity Friday but one of them was recaptured by the insurgents, a Taliban spokesman said.
Religious scholars declare suicide attacks in Pakistan un-Islamic
Islamabad, Oct 15: A powerful grouping of Islamic scholars has issued a decree against suicide attacks inside Pakistan, declaring them "forbidden," media reports said Wednesday.
US airstrike kills six in Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 16 (Xinhua): Six people were killed Thursday in a US airstrike in Pakistan's southern tribal region of Waziristan, the Dawn news TV channel reported.
Death toll in Pakistan blast climbs to 55
Islamabad, Oct 11: The death toll in the blast which hit a jirga, or tribal elders' meeting, in northwestern Pakistan's tribal region Friday has climbed to 55, local TV reported Saturday.
Slain Taliban commander was Pakistani army officer: report
London, Oct 12: A Taliban commander killed by British commandoes in Afghanistan last year was a Pakistani military officer, a British newspaper reported Sunday quoting highly placed Afghan officials.
Taliban giving Islam, Pakistan a bad name: MQM leader
Johannesburg, Oct 12 (IANS): The Taliban and Al Qaeda are giving Islam and Pakistan "a bad name" and the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) does not want "mullahs or religious clerics ruling Pakistan", says its exiled chief Altaf Hussain.
Pakistan, Iran may start gas project without India
Islamabad, Oct 10 (DPA): Pakistan and Iran said Friday they would undertake bilaterally a proposed $7.5 billion cross-border gas pipeline venture if India delayed joining the project.
Pakistan spy chief briefs lawmakers on horrors of Taliban threat
Islamabad, Oct 9: Taliban militants are using children as fighters and suicide bombers, Pakistan's new spy chief told lawmakers in a rare briefing on threats posed by Islamic militants in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), media reports and officials said Thursday.
18 killed in Pakistan suicide attack
Islamabad, Oct 6 (DPA): At least 18 people were killed and more than 40 injured Monday in a suicide bomb attack at the guest house of a lawmaker in Pakistan's Punjab province, the police said.
Zardari criticised for calling Kashmir militants 'terrorists'
Islamabad, Oct 6 (IANS): Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chairman of Pakistan's parliamentary committee on Kashmir and president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, has criticised President Asif Ali Zardari for terming militants operating in Kashmir as "terrorists" and for saying that India has never been a threat to Pakistan.
20 killed by US airstrike in Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 4 (DPA): Pakistani security officials said Saturday at least half a dozen Al Qaeda fighters were among more than 20 people killed in US missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal region.
Two senior militant commanders killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 5: The Pakistani army said it killed two senior militant commanders in the troubled Swat mountain district Sunday.
Pakistan names new ISI chief, reshuffles army commanders
Islamabad, Sep 30 (DPA): Pakistan has appointed a new chief of the country's main spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in a major reshuffle of the senior military leadership.
Pakistan media, experts welcome army changes
Islamabad, Oct 1 (IANS): The Pakistani media and military experts Wednesday welcomed the top level changes in the army, particularly the appointment of a new spymaster, a demand the Americans have been making for some time.
US drone kills four in Pakistan, Taliban leader Mehsud dies after illness
Islamabad, Oct 1 (DPA): At least four people were killed and nine injured in a US drone attack on a house in Pakistani territory along the Afghan border as media reported Wednesday the death of Pakistan's Taliban leader due to illness.
Over 40 militants killed by Pak troops, toll crosses 1000
Islamabad, Sep 27 (Xinhua): At least 25 militants and three soldiers were killed Saturday in an operation carried out by the Pakistan Army in the country's northwestern Bajaur tribal region, Dawn News TV channel reported.
Taliban, Al Qaeda fight to death in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 29 (DPA): When thousands of Pakistani troops backed by tanks and artillery moved into Bajaur tribal district to retake a strategic checkpoint from Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, many thought it would be a relatively easy walk for professional soldiers with huge fire power.
Pakistan to continue anti-militant operations: Report
Islamabad, Sep 29 (Xinhua): Pakistan's security forces will continue operations against militants in the tribal areas, including the northwest Swat Valley, the News Network International news agency reported Monday.
Kidnapped Afghan envoy recovered in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 30 (Xinhua): Afghanistan's consul general to Pakistan Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who was kidnapped last Monday by some unidentified gunmen in northwestern Pakistan, has been released, media reports said Tuesday.
Pakistan blast toll rises to 53, probe underway
Islamabad, Sep 21 (IANS): Pakistani authorities were desperately searching for vital leads as they investigated the devastating suicide bombing at a luxury hotel here Saturday that claimed at least 53 lives, but a top official Sunday refused to charge any outfit with the outrage.
US Marines may have been target of Marriot attack: Officials
Islamabad, Sept 20: US Marines staying at the Marriott Hotel may have been the target of Saturday's suicide attack that killed more than 60 people, security officials said. They said that about 30 Marines were staying at the hotel and were scheduled to leave for Afghanistan early Sunday morning.
Zardari to shed power to dissolve parliament
Islamabad, Sep 20: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said he would shed his controversial powers to dissolve parliament to ensure the supremacy of the legislature.
Footage shows lone suicide bomber behind Islamabad blast
Islamabad, Sep 21 (IANS): A lone suicide bomber driving a truck blew himself up before the powerful blast that rocked the Marriott Hotel here Saturday evening killing 53 people and injuring another 266, CCTV footage obtained by the media shows.
Pakistan parliament was target of terror attack: report
Islamabad, Sep 21: The terror attack on the Marriott Hotel here Saturday was aimed at Pakistan's parliament where the entire civil and military leadership of the country had gathered to listen to the first address by President Asif Ali Zardari, a media report said Sunday.
NATO committed to work with Pakistan against terrorism
Brussels, Sep 21: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist bombing in Pakistani capital Islamabad that killed 53 people Saturday.
Pakistan President Zardari leaves to attend UN session
Islamabad, Sep 21 (DPA): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday left Islamabad to attend the 63rd UN General Assembly session, a day after the country's worst terrorist attack took place in the city, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 250 more.
Jamaat-e-Islami links Marriot, Delhi blasts
Islamabad, Sep 20: Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami has linked Saturday's suicide attack at the Marriot Hotel here to the terror bombings in New Delhi exactly a week ago, saying there may be "one force" behind the attacks in both countries.
Eight killed in Pakistan military convoy attacks
Islamabad, Sep 20 (DPA): At least eight people, including five soldiers, were killed Saturday when a suicide car bomber and a roadside explosion separately hit two military convoys in Pakistan's restive tribal region along the Afghan border, an army spokesman said.
PPP to 'overturn' Punjab government to consolidate power
Islamabad, Sep 15 (IANS): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), in power at the centre and in three of the four provinces, is eyeing the fourth and the largest province of Punjab to form its own government there to consolidate its power.
Zardari arrives in Britain as envoy warns of terror backlash
London, Sep 14: Pakistan's new president Asif Ali Zardari arrived here Sunday for talks aimed at persuading the US to end anti-terror strikes on Pakistani soil, with his envoy warning such attacks could provoke a backlash in Britain.
Pakistan foils US attack in border region
Islamabad, Sep 15 (DPA): Pakistani security forces and armed tribesmen Monday foiled an attempt by US troops to enter Pakistani territory by firing shots at them, security officials said.
Zardari hopeful of resolving Kashmir dispute
Islamabad, Sep 12: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is hopeful about resolving the six decade old Kashmir dispute with India, a media report Friday said.
Need for F-16s for Pakistan questioned
Washington, Sep 15: Amid growing fear that Islamabad is using US military aid to prepare for a war against India, US lawmakers are questioning the continued supply of sophisticated F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan to fight terrorism.
Pakistani president accepts resignation of PML-N ministers
Islamabad, Sep 13 (Xinhua): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has accepted the resignations tendered by the ministers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), TV reported Saturday.
Pakistan military kills 15 militants in Bajaur fighting
Islamabad, Sep 14 (DPA): Pakistani troops killed more than 15 Islamist militants in clashes Sunday in the troubled north-western region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.
100 militants killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 12: Pakistani security forces, backed by air power, have killed up to 100 militants in fierce clashes near the Afghan border, a media report said Friday.
Zardari takes oath as Pakistan's new president
Islamabad, Sep 9: Asif Ali Zardari, husband of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Tuesday took oath as Pakistan's new president for a five-year term as the first civilian head of state who will be as powerful as the country's military dictators in the past.
Bush offers full support to Pakistan's new president
Washington, Sep 10 (DPA): US President George W. Bush telephoned his new Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, Tuesday to offer his "full support" in the fighting against Islamic militants in the country.
Zardari to visit China, negotiate nuclear deal
Islamabad, Sep 8 (IANS): Asif Ali Zardari, the president-elect of Pakistan, will visit China next week to negotiate a nuclear deal similar to the one between India and the US, an official said Monday.
36 militants, six soldiers killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 11 (DPA): At least 36 militants and six soldiers were killed Wednesday in two separate clashes in northwest Pakistan, an army spokesman said.
Three civilians among 28 killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 10 (Xinhua): Al least 28 people, including three civilians, were killed as security forces pounded militants' hideouts in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region Wednesday, the Dawn News reported.
Asif Ali Zardari elected Pakistan president
Islamabad, Sep 6: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was Saturday elected the country's 13th president, defeating his two rivals from the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) factions with a big majority.
Once 'Mr Ten Percent', now Pakistan's president
Islamabad, Sep 6 (IANS): From being one of Pakistan's more controversial figures and even politically irrelevant until eight months ago, it has been a complete reversal of fortunes for Asif Ali Zardari, who was Saturday elected as the country's 13th president.
Over 20 killed in Peshawar bomb blast
Islamabad, Sep 6: More than 20 people were killed and several injured in a bomb blast in Peshawar as Pakistan's parliamentarians voted to elect the country's 13th president.
Three deposed Pakistani Supreme Court judges reappointed
Islamabad, Sep 5 (Xinhua): Three deposed judges of Pakistan's Supreme Court took fresh oath of office Friday, according to the official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Pakistan has right to retaliate to cross-border attacks: Army
Islamabad, Sep 5 (Xinhua): Pakistan's army Friday condemned the cross-border military actions on Pakistani territory by Afghanistan-based international security forces in hot pursuit of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants and said they reserved the right to retaliate.
China promises Pakistan 'all-weather friendship'
Beijing, Sep 7 (Xinhua): Chinese President Hu Jintao Sunday congratulated Pakistan's president-elect Asif Ali Zardari and pledged to maintain an "all weather friendship" with Islamabad.
US sees 'good way forward' with Pakistan's new president
Washington, Sep 7 (DPA): The United States has welcomed the election of Asif Ali Zardari as the civilian president of Pakistan and said it was a positive sign for the civilian government of Washington's ally in the fight against terrorism.
EU seeks to work closely with Pakistan's new president
Brussels, Sep 7: The European Union (EU) has welcomed the election of Asif Ali Zardari as the new president of Pakistan and said it would continue "to offer its strong support to the Pakistani people".
Suspected US missile kill four children in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 5: Four children were killed by missiles fired from a suspected unmanned US plane targeting militant hideouts in Pakistan's tribal area Friday, Geo TV channel reported.
Pakistan PM survives assassination attempt, Taliban claims responsibility
Islamabad, Sep 3 (DPA): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Wednesday escaped an assassination attempt after unknown gunmen opened fire on his convoy just outside Islamabad, officials said.
US, NATO operations kill 15 in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 3: At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed by US special forces Wednesday during a raid on a border village in a Pakistani tribal region, local residents and security officials said.
Pakistani Taliban admit kidnapping two Chinese engineers
Islamabad, Sep 2 (DPA): Taliban militants in Pakistan Tuesday claimed they have abducted two Chinese engineers in the northwest region of the country.
At least 95 killed in sectarian clashes in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sep 1 (DPA): At least 95 people were killed and about 200 injured in the weekend sectarian clashes in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, media reports said Monday.
Pakistan to put offensive against militants on hold
Islamabad, Aug 31 (DPA): Pakistani security forces fighting pro-Taliban militants in the violent north-western regions were scheduled Sunday midnight to discontinue the offensive for a month, officials said.
Three candidates in Pakistan's presidential race
Islamabad, Aug 30 (Xinhua): Pakistan's Election Commission Saturday issued the final list of three candidates for the country's presidential election.
Over 20 killed in Pakistan artillery and US missile attacks
Islamabad, Sep 1: At least 10 people, including women and children, were killed Monday when artillery fire by security forces hit a house in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region, the News Network International news agency reported.
Zardari denies ISI hand in Kabul attack on Indian mission
New York, Aug 29: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari - his eyes set on the presidency - has denied the involvement of his country's intelligence agency in the bloody suicide bombing at the Indian embassy in Kabul.
Aerial attacks kill more than 50 militants in Pakistan
Islamabad, Aug 30 (DPA): More than 30 militants were killed in an overnight aerial strike by security forces in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier province, army officials said Saturday.
Two dead, 20 injured as Pakistani troops foil suicide attack
Islamabad, Aug 29 (DPA): Two people were killed and at least 20 wounded Friday in a foiled car bomb attack on a military camp close to a key road tunnel in Pakistan's violence-plagued North West Frontier Province, officials said.
Zardari apologises to Nawaz, but won't budge on judges
Islamabad, Aug 26: Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has appealed to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to return to the ruling coalition - but stuck to his stance on the reinstatement of judges, an issue on which the alliance had split.
Implications of Pakistani coalition's collapse immense: Editorials
Islamabad, Aug 26: Pakistan's ruling coalition was always shaky but its "disastrous break up will have shaken everyone" as the "implications" of this are "immense" newspaper editorials said Tuesday.
Pakistan in crisis as Sharif pulls out of ruling coalition
Islamabad, Aug 25 (IANS): Pakistan was plunged into fresh crisis Monday evening as its traditionally rival two major parties ended their six-month honeymoon, a week after they forced Pervez Musharrf to quit as president after nearly nine long years in power.
Zardari had serious mental illnesses, claims British newspaper
London, Aug 26: Pakistan's presidential candidate Asif Ali Zardari was diagnosed with a range of serious mental illnesses over a period of two years up until last year, a British newspaper reported Tuesday quoting court documents filed by his doctors.
Zardari will not be figurehead president: Pakistani paper
Islamabad, Aug 25: His assertions to the contrary apart, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari will not be a figurehead president if he is elected to the country's top job, a leading English newspaper said Monday.
Judges will be restored, but no timeframe: Zardari
Islamabad, Aug 25: The judges former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf sacked after imposing an emergency last year will definitely be restored, Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the country's ruling coalition, has said, without specifying the timeframe for this.
National Security Adviser to represent Pakistan at SCO summit
Islamabad, Aug 25: The political crisis confronting the Pakistani government has compelled Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to nominate National Security Adviser (NSA) Mehmud Ali Durrani instead of the foreign minister to represent the country at this week's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Pakistan rejects Taliban's unilateral ceasefire
Islamabad, Aug 25 (Xinhua): The unilateral ceasefire announced by the Taliban is not acceptable, as they had broken previous promises, Pakistan's interior affairs advisor Rehman Malik said Sunday.
Rocket attack by Taliban kills 10 in Pakistan
Islamabad, Aug 25 (Xinhua): At least 10 people were killed Monday when a rocket fired by Taliban insurgents hit a house of political leader in northwesten Pakistan, the Dawn News TV reported.
NATO vehicles damaged in Karachi
Karachi, Aug 25: Two Afghanistan-bound armoured vehicles of NATO forces were damaged here when a group of people torched a parked trailer transporting them, the Dawn newspaper Monday said.
US diplomat fired upon in Pakistan, escapes unhurt
Islamabad, Aug 26: A senior US diplomat escaped unhurt Tuesday when some unidentified gunmen opened fire on her car in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, media reports said.
Zardari to run for Pakistan president's post
Islamabad, Aug 23: The leading party in the ruling coalition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Saturday announced it would field party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for the presidential elections scheduled to be held Sep 6.
Musharraf in 'protective custody'
Islamabad, Aug 23 (IANS): Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf is under protective custody and will be allowed to move freely only after a new head of the state is elected and the judges he sacked after declaring an emergency in November 2007 are restored, an official said.
Nawaz Sharif wants judges restored by Monday evening
Islamabad, Aug 23: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif Saturday set yet another deadline, Monday evening, for its senior ruling coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to restore judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf last year.
Over 50 killed in Pakistan's militancy-related violence
Islamabad, Aug 23 (Xinhua): More than 30 militants were killed in a security force offensive early Saturday in the restive Swat valley of northwest Pakistan while a suicide attack on a police station claimed 20 lives, media reports said.
Pakistan to hold presidential election Sept 6
Islamabad, Aug 22 (Xinhua): Pakistan will hold presidential election Sept 6, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced here Friday.
Bush calls Musharraf at last, strongly backs new government
Washington, Aug 22: At long last President George Bush talked to former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf and followed it up with a call to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to convey strong US commitment to the new government.
70 killed in terror strike at Pakistani ordnance factory
Islamabad, Aug 21: Two suicide bombers struck at a heavily guarded ordnance factory about 30 km from here Thursday, killing more than 70 people, hospital and police sources said.
US hopes Pakistan coalition holds together after Musharraf exit
Washington, Aug 21: The US has offered support to Pakistan's ruling coalition to curb militancy and extremism threatening US, Afghanistan and Pakistan, while hoping it holds together even after the exit of former President Pervez Musharraf.
Musharraf's security enhanced after resignation
Islamabad, Aug 20: The Pakistan government will provide the best possible security to former president Pervez Musharraf, a senior official has said.
Musharraf to remain in Pakistan: Spokesman
Islamabad, Aug 20: Former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf will stay in Pakistan and has no immediate plans to leave the country, his spokesman said Wednesday.
Musharraf chills out on first day out of office
Islamabad, Aug 20: Pervez Musharraf spent his first day out of office as Pakistan's president catching up with his family and friends - and listening to old Bollywood songs by Mohammad Rafi.
Musharraf forgotten, Bush to call new bosses in Pakistan
Washington, Aug 20: US President George W. Bush is expected to have high-level contacts with the new government of Pakistan soon, but the White House would not say if and when he would call his "personal friend" Pervez Musharraf.
Pakistan ruling coalition denies rift over judges
Islamabad, Aug 20 (IANS): Pakistan's ruling coalition denied Wednesday it was split over the restoration of Supreme Court judges sacked nine months ago and said an announcement giving them their jobs back was likely Friday.
PPP parliamentarians for Zardari as president
Islamabad, Aug 20: Parliamentarians belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have nominated party co-chair Asif Ali Zardari for next month's presidential elections, a party leader told reporters Wednesday evening.
Lack of army support did Musharraf in
Islamabad, Aug 19: The lack of support from the Pakistani Army proved to be the last straw for Pervez Musharraf and prompted him to step down as president, a media report said Tuesday.
For Washington, Musharraf is history
Washington, Aug 19: As key ally Pervez Musharraf resigned as Pakistan president, Washington talked of strongly supporting the new democratic regime in Islamabad to continue its "war on terror". President George Bush made no contact with Musharraf whom he had described previously as a "personal friend".
Consensus eludes Pakistani coalition on Musharraf successor
Islamabad, Aug 19: The leaders of Pakistan's ruling coalition Tuesday failed to agree on a consensus candidate to succeed Pervez Musharraf as president, to provide him indemnity and to work out the modalities of restoring the judges who were sacked after an emergency was declared last year.
Suicide bombing in Pakistani hospital kills 23
IIslamabad, Aug 19 (DPA): At least 23 people, including two policemen, were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a hospital in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP), officials said.
Government to restore judges sacked by Musharraf: Minister
Islamabad, Aug 19 (DPA): Pakistan's government will restore dozens of senior judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf Tuesday afternoon, a cabinet minister said.
Pakistan situation 'fragile', but no power vacuum: US
Washington, Aug 19: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice does not subscribe to the view that Pervez Musharraf's resignation as president would leave a power vacuum in Pakistan though admittedly the country is in a "fragile situation".
'Pakistan PM's US visit tipped scales against Musharraf'
Islamabad, Aug 19: Pakistan's ruling coalition used Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to Washington last month to "convince" US President George W. Bush to stop supporting his "old ally" Pervez Musharraf, a media report Tuesday said.
Scorn, sarcasm in Pakistani papers on Musharraf resignation
Islamabad, Aug 19: Some headlines were sarcastic, some frankly scornful and others attempted to look ahead as Pakistan's papers Monday devoted reams of newsprint to the dramatic resignation of Pervez Musharraf as president after nine years.
EU hopes next Pakistani president will strengthen democracy
Brussels, Aug 19: The European Union (EU) has said it hopes the future president of Pakistan and the government can work together on developing and strengthening democracy in Pakistan, respecting institutions and the rule of law, EuAsiaNews reported Tuesday.
Exit Musharraf, ignominious end for a vain dictator
Islamabad, Aug 18 (IANS): Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Monday finally bowed out of office to avoid impeachment, triggering celebrations in a country he ruled for almost nine long years before an avalanche of democracy brought his career to an ignominious end.
Musharraf saga heads for final denouement
Islamabad, Aug 18: This is not for the first time that Pakistanis have celebrated a ruler's ouster by distributing sweets and congratulating each other - and even resorting to firing in the air in jubilation.
Many in Pakistan opposed to safe passage for Musharraf
Islamabad, Aug 18 (IANS): A large number of politicians, lawyers and civil rights leaders are opposed to the idea of Pervez Musharraf being given safe passage out of the country after his resignation as president, though there are reports his bete noire Nawaz Sharif has agreed to it after a meeting with an envoy from Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan's next president to be from PPP: Party chairman
Islamabad, Aug 18 (Xinhua): The Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Monday said the next Pakistani President would be from the PPP.
Pakistan stocks, rupee recover as Musharraf resigns
Karachi, Aug 18 (DPA): Pakistan's stock market and rupee made an immediate recovery Monday after President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation in a televised address.
Pakistani parliament debate on Musharraf's impeachment Monday
Islamabad, Aug 16 (Xinhua): Pakistan's lower house of the parliament is set to discuss President Pervez Musharraf's impeachment Monday, the official APP news agency reported Saturday.
Musharraf saga heads for final denouement
Islamabad, Aug 15 (IANS): Efforts to save Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf from humiliation and to provide him safe passage out of the country have entered the final phase with pressure mounting on the coalition government to not impeach the military dictator who ruled the country for almost nine years.
Musharraf's support to the US fuelled militancy: Pakistan officials
Islamabad, Aug 16: Blaming President Pervez Musharraf's decision to support the US in its war against terrorism for the rise in militancy in Pakistan, officials of the restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP) claimed the Taliban were being supported by other nations.
Sectarian violence in Pakistan leaves 48 dead
Islamabad, Aug 16 (DPA): At least 13 people were killed and 15 injured Saturday in fresh sectarian clashes between rival Shia and Sunni Muslim tribesmen in northwest Pakistan, media reports said.
'Security nightmare if Musharraf remains in Pakistan'
Islamabad, Aug 16: Pakistani security agencies are in a tizzy over reports that President Pervez Musharraf would be permitted to remain in the country after he steps down, saying it would be virtually impossible to provide him foolproof cover.
Musharraf likely to step down
Islamabad, Aug 15 (Xinhua): Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is expected to quit instead of facing impeachment, The News daily reported Friday.
Nation united to stop dictatorship, adventurism: Pakistan PM
Islamabad, Aug 14 (DPA): Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Thursday said "confrontationalism" of the past had done much damage to the nation but now the democratic forces have united to stop dictatorship and adventurism.
Pakistan's coalition finalises chargesheet against Musharraf
Islamabad, Aug 15 (Xinhua): Pakistan's coalition parties Friday finalised charges against President Pervez Musharraf that would be tabled in the parliament along with an impeachment motion next week, a senior official said.
On Independence Day, Pakistan leaders urge unity to face challenges
Islamabad, Aug 14 (Xinhua): Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Thursday urged the nation to be united to face the challenges ahead.
Senior Taliban commander killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, Aug 14 (Xinhua): A senior Taliban leader was believed to have been killed in a military operation in northwestern Pakistan's tribal region Thursday, the Geo TV channel reported.
Nine killed in suicide attack in Lahore
Islamabad, Aug 14 (Xinhua): At least nine people, including two police officials, were killed and 35 others injured in a suicide attack targeting the police in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, The Nation newspaper reported Thursday.
Musharraf seeks reconciliation with Pakistani coalition
Islamabad/Karachi, Aug 14 (DPA): Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday sought reconciliation with the ruling coalition that dealt another blow to the embattled leader as a third provincial assembly demanded his impeachment.
Sindh Assembly passes resolution against Musharraf
Karachi, Aug 13 (DPA): The 168-member assembly of the southern province of Sindh Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution that demanded a vote of confidence on President Pervez Musharraf in the presidential electoral college or his resignation.
Pakistan's inflation at 24 percent
Islamabad, Aug 13: Pakistan's inflation soared to 24.33 percent in the first month of fiscal 2008-09 that began July 1, reveals data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
Musharraf impeachment motion to be moved next week
Islamabad, Aug 12 (IANS): Pakistan's ruling coalition will table the impeachment motion against President Pervez Musharraf in the lower house of the parliament next week, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said Tuesday.
Tribesmen resist Taliban advance in Pakistan, six killed
Peshawar, Aug 13 (DPA): Hundreds of armed tribesmen Wednesday exchanged fire with about a dozen pro-Taliban militants as they tried to enter Pakistan's northwestern Buner district from the neighbouring Swat valley.
NWFP provincial assembly passes resolution against Musharraf
Islamabad, Aug 12 (DPA): Legislators in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) Tuesday passed a no-trust resolution against President Pervez Musharraf, who stands on the brink of impeachment over accusations of misconduct.
Taliban own up air force bus bombing in Pakistan
Islamabad, Aug 12 (Xinhua): The Taliban insurgents in Pakistan claimed responsibility for the bomb blast targeting an air force bus that killed over a dozen of people in northwestern city of Peshawar Tuesday.
Uncle Sam, lay off Musharraf impeachment: Pakistani editorial
Islamabad, Aug 12: The impending impeachment of President Prevez Musharraf "is entirely a matter for Pakistan and not a matter for the United States to be interfering in", a stinging editorial in a leading Pakistani newspaper said Tuesday.
Punjab assembly asks Musharraf to seek confidence vote
Islamabad, Aug 11 (Xinhua): The provincial assembly in Pakistan's Punjab province Monday passed a resolution asking President Pervez Musharraf to take a vote of confidence.
Pakistan ruling coalition begins Musharraf impeachment
Islamabad, Aug 11: The ruling coalition Monday began the process to impeach President Pervez Musharraf by charging him with abrogating the constitution, dismissing an elected government and damaging the country's reputation by handing over Pakistani citizens to the United States.
'Musharraf to be denied safe exit if he doesn't quit'
Islamabad, Aug 11: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will be denied a safe exit from the country if he doesn't quit ahead of an impeachment move against him in parliament, western diplomats here have been told.
Pakistan army kills 10 militants in tribal region
Islamabad, Aug 12 (Xinhua): Pakistan's security forces Tuesday killed 10 militants in an operation in the tribal region in the country's northwest.
PPP-PML-N seek time to finalise charges against Musharraf
Islamabad, Aug 11: A joint committee of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has made progress on drafting an eight-point, 100-page chargesheet to impeach President Pervez Musharraf but has sought more time to complete the job.
Clashes leave 100 militants, nine soldiers dead in Pakistan
Islamabad, Aug 11 (DPA): Pakistan's security forces have said that 100 Taliban militants and nine soldiers had died in four days of fighting in the Bajaur tribal district bordering Afghanistan, as thousands of militants surrounded the district's main town.
Musharraf denies he misappropriated US anti-terror funds
Islamabad, Aug 11 (DPA): A spokesman for President Pervez Musharraf has denied that the embattled leader had "misappropriated" millions of dollars of military aid provided to Pakistan by the United States since the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda terrorist attacks.
Pakistan's coalition vows to oust President Musharraf
Islamabad, Aug 10 (DPA): Pakistan's ruling coalition Sunday said its "chargesheet" against President Pervez Musharraf will be compelling enough for the beleaguered leader to resign instead of defending his impeachment.
All set for Musharraf impeachment motion on Monday
Islamabad, Aug 9: The Pakistani government has summoned the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, to meet Monday evening to initiate the impeachment process against President Pervez Musharraf, charging him with abrogating the constitution and damaging the country's democratic processes.
'Pakistan army to seek Musharraf's resignation within a week'
London, Aug 9: Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani will ask President Pervez Musharraf to resign from office within a week, a British newspaper reported Saturday.
Musharraf stole war-on-terror aid: Zardari
London, Aug 10: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari has accused President Pervez Musharraf of siphoning off millions of dollars of American aid given for supporting the war on terror.
Four PML-N ministers return to Pakistan's federal cabinet
Islamabad, Aug 8 (Xinhua): Four ministers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Friday rejoined the federal cabinet, official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
Sharif gets revenge on Musharraf, convinces coalition partner
Islamabad, Aug 8: After a nine year wait, former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif's revenge is almost complete - he has convinced his coalition partners to not only oust but also initiate a case of high treason against President Pervez Musharraf, who had overthrown his government in 1999 and pushed him into exile.
Pakistani media cautious on Musharraf impeachment
Islamabad, Aug 8: The Pakistani media Friday reacted cautiously to the move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf, with one newspaper warning that the road to the denouement would be rocky.
New book nails Musharraf on poor security for Benazir
Islamabad, Aug 9: President Pervez Musharraf failed to provide enough security for Benazir Bhutto as she couldn't develop "good relations" with him despite her requesting the military dictator for more security cover days before she was assassinated, reveals a book by a US journalist.
70 militants killed in Pakistan's tribal region
Islamabad, Aug 8 (Xinhua) At least 70 militants have been killed and 60 others injured in clashes between security forces and the rebels in northwestern Pakistan, Geo TV reported Friday.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to be impeached
Islamabad, Aug 7 (IANS): Pakistan's ruling coalition Thursday decided to impeach President Pervez Musharraf following his failure to win the trust of the newly elected parliament and also to reinstate the judges he had sacked after declaring an emergency last November.
Pervez Musharraf: From kingmaker to supplicant
In a mere 254 days since he shed his army chief's uniform, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has plummeted from being an all-powerful kingmaker who single-handedly called the shots to a toothless tiger who faces impeachment - unless he quits office before that happens.
Musharraf signs notification to restore deposed judges
Islamabad, Aug 6 (Xinhua): Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday signed a notification to restore eight judges who were sacked last year, TV channel Dawn News reported.
ISI back in defence ministry's control - for the moment
Islamabad, Aug 6: Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has, for the moment, been returned to the defence ministry's control but this may not be the last word on the subject as a turf war seems to be brewing on the issue between President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Taliban threatens suicide attacks in Pakistan
Islamabad, Aug 6: Tribal Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has threatened to launch suicide attacks across Pakistan if the army does not cease operations against its cadres in the Swat Valley in the country's restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Musharraf cancels China visit amid impeachment rumours
Islamabad, Aug 6 (DPA): Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday called off his visit to China, hours before his departure, as the possibility of his impeachment brewed amid crucial meetings of the country's ruling coalition.
Pakistani terror suspect's family accuses US of detention, rape
Karachi, Aug 5 (DPA): The family of a Pakistani woman extradited to the US on terror charges Tuesday sought her repatriation, terming the accusations an attempt to "cover up" her five-year illegal detention, rape and torture at a US base in Afghanistan.
Four killed in bomb blast in Balochistan
Islamabad, Aug 6 (Xinhua): At least four people were killed and three injured in a bomb blast in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province Wednesday, according to state television.
Pakistan denies NYT report on ISI link to Kabul blast
Islamabad/Washington, Aug 1: US officials have told an American daily that they have clear evidence about the role of Pakistan's spy service ISI in the July 7 bombing of India's embassy in Kabul.
ISI should be under civilian rule: Pakistani media
Islamabad, Aug 1 (IANS): Smarting under embarrassing questions from the United States about the links of its premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with the Taliban and other terror outfits in the region, the Pakistani media is coming round to the view that the agency should be brought under "direct and practical" control of the prime minister.
70 killed in Pakistan's Swat Valley clashes
Islamabad, Aug 1 (DPA): Security forces, backed by gunships and artillery, pounded several militant hideouts Friday as the death toll in three days of fighting in Pakistan's north-western Swat Valley rose to 70, officials and media reports said.
US distrust triggers Pakistan stocks sell-off
Karachi, July 31 (DPA): Foreign investors and local institutions dumped Pakistani stocks Thursday, prompted by strong US statements against the country's top intelligence agency for its alleged support to Islamic militants, traders said.
Pakistan condemns explosion outside its consulate in Afghanistan
Islamabad, July 31 (Xinhua): Pakistan Thursday condemned the bomb explosion outside its consulate in western Afghanistan, urging the Afghan government to take responsibility seriously.
US ignored diplomatic niceties for Gilani: report
Islamabad, July 30: Essential diplomatic courtesies were ignored when Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani arrived in Washington on his maiden US visit and he was compelled to walk "two-three minutes" to a marquee where he was welcomed by an assistant secretary of state, a media report Wednesday said.
Gilani tries to step out of Zardari's shadow
Islamabad, July 30: Fresh from his maiden meeting with US President George W. Bush, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is making a concerted effort to step out of the shadow of his mentor Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the country's shaky coalition.
Gilani assures Bush of cooperation in war on terror
Islamabad, July 29 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani assured US President George W. Bush of continued cooperation in the war on terror and also took up the issue of attacks by coalition forces inside Pakistan when the two leaders met at the White House, a Pakistani official privy to the talks said Tuesday.
25 militants, five soldiers killed in Pakistan
Islamabad, July 30 (DPA): Twenty-five militants and five Pakistani Army soldiers were killed Wednesday in an attack on a security checkpoint in Pakistan's troubled north-west Swat Valley, officials said.
Pakistan Army kills two senior Taliban leaders
Islamabad, July 30 (Xinhua): Pakistan's security forces Wednesday killed two senior local Taliban leaders in the Swat valley in the northwestern tribal belt.
Musharraf prompted Gilani's ISI flip-flop
Islamabad, July 28 (IANS): Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was forced to rescind his orders bringing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) under civilian control after President Pervez Musharraf intervened, sources said Monday.
Pakistan flip-flop on ISI creates confusion
Islamabad, July 27: The Pakistan government's notification Sunday, reversing an announcement made a day before to place the two top intelligence agencies under the interior ministry, has led to further confusion with a former top spy saying a conspiracy was foiled.
Pakistan concerned at US' cross-border strikes
Islamabad, July 28 (Xinhua): Pakistan Monday expressed concern over cross-border attacks by the US-led NATO forces in its territory along the borders with Afghanistan.
Gilani, Bush to discuss rise of Taliban in Pakistan
Islamabad, July 25: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will discuss with US President George W. Bush at the White House Monday the rising Taliban-led militancy in areas bordering Afghanistan, officials said Friday.
Win people's trust, Musharraf urges Pakistani government
Islamabad, July 25: In a bid to regain his flagging authority, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has urged the uneasy ruling coalition to win the people's confidence to cope with the country's problems.
Militants release eight hostages in Pakistan
Islamabad, July 25 (Xinhua): Militants in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt Friday released eight hostages, all government officials, two days after the army ended its operation in the area.
Pakistan lawyers set Aug 14 deadline for restoring judges
Islamabad, July 19: Pakistan's agitating lawyers Saturday laid down a new Aug 14 deadline for restoring the Supreme Court judges President Pervez Musharraf had sacked after imposing an emergency last November, warning the coalition government of a civil disobedience movement if it did not fulfil the demand.
Not all bad news on India-Pakistan front: Editorial
Islamabad, July 23: India poured a "bucket of cold water" on the fifth round of the just concluded composite dialogue with Pakistan but it was "not all bad news" on this front, with trade being enhanced and new confidence building measures (CBMs) announced, an editorial in a leading English daily Wednesday said.
38 killed as Pakistani forces clamp down on rebels
Islamabad, July 21: Clashes between paramilitary troops and militants left at least 38 people dead and dozens injured in Pakistan's south-western province of Balochistan, media reports said Monday.
NATO crosses border, targets militants in Pakistan
Islamabad/Brussels, July 17: NATO forces have attacked targets inside Pakistan after coming under fire from militants in the country's North Waziristan region, the alliance has announced.
Pakistani investors take to streets, demand market closure
Islamabad, July 17: Many investors in Pakistan, who have lost money as a benchmark index declined by 33 percent in four months, stoned the stock market building in Karachi and protested in Lahore and Islamabad, blaming political leaders for their losses and demanding the closure of the markets.
Is NATO readying to strike northwest Pakistan?
Islamabad, July 16: After deploying troops across the Kurram Agency along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has sent soldiers to the North Waziristan Agency (NWA), raising fears of a strike into the tribal areas in Pakistan's northwest.
$7.5 bn US aid proposed for Pakistan
Islamabad, July 16: Non-military aid to Pakistan could be tripled to $7.5 billion over five years if the US Congress clears a bill, a newspaper report here Wednesday said.
No returning to cabinet till judges restored: Nawaz
Islamabad, July 14: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has made it clear that it would return to the cabinet of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani only after the reinstatement of the Supreme Court judges who had been sacked after an emergency was imposed last November.
Turmoil in PPP: veteran leader Fahim dares Zardari to sack him
Islamabad, July 15: The simmering differences in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the country's ruling coalition have burst into the open with senior leader Amin Fahim daring party co-chair Asif Ali Zardari to sack him.
Emissaries of Musharraf, Sharif to meet?
Islamabad, July 14 (IANS): Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif may have said that he would never talk to President Pervez Musharraf, but efforts are now underway for a possible meeting between their emissaries as part of "national reconciliation" by the presidency.
Pakistan in eye of storm: foreign minister
Islamabad, July 14: Pakistan is "in the eye of the storm" and needs to take "farsighted and prudent decisions" to safeguard its interests, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.
Hearing of Sharif's election case adjourned
Islamabad, July 14 (Xinhua): Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday adjourned till Aug 11 hearing of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's appeal against his disqualification to stand in election.
Rebels hand over bodies of 17 Pakistani soldiers
Islamabad, July 13 (DPA): Islamist militants Sunday handed over the bodies of 17 Pakistani soldiers they killed in a weekend attack on a tribal council in the troubled Hangu district in the northwest, officials said.
Sharif's PML-N to return to Pakistan federal cabinet
Islamabad, July 12 (Xinhua): The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which withdrew its ministers from the federal cabinet in May, will rejoin the coalition government soon, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said.
Mending fences with India a priority: Qureshi
Washington, July 12 (IANS): Trying to remove "a trust deficit" between India and Pakistan, including on the Kashmir issue, is one of Islamabad's priorities, says Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, but concedes there are no quick fixes for it.
Pakistan protests to ISAF over attack on border post
Islamabad, July 12 (DPA): Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) over a mortar attack from Afghanistan on one of its border military posts, an army spokesman said Saturday.
16 Pakistani soldiers killed in Taliban ambush
Peshawar, July 12 (DPA): At least 16 Pakistani paramilitary soldiers and one militant was killed Saturday as pro-Taliban fighters ambushed a security convoy in Pakistan's restive North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), officials said.
UN to set up commission to probe Bhutto assassination
Islamabad, July 11 (Xinhua): Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Friday the United Nations would form a commission to probe the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, according to a TV report.
Gilani hopes PML-N ministers will return
Islamabad, July 11: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed confidence that estranged coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will accept ministerial berths when he expands his cabinet in the coming days.
Zardari's Kargil comment angers Sharif's PML-N
Islamabad, July 8 (IANS): Fresh tensions have arisen in Pakistan's ruling coalition with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari blaming both President Pervez Musharraf and partner, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, for the Kargil conflict of 1999 that invited international criticism.
Two killed, 40 injured in Karachi blasts
Islamabad, July 7: Two people were killed and more than 40 injured in a series of seven low-intensity blasts that ripped through Karachi Monday, a day after a powerful suicide attack killed 23, including 19 policemen, in Islamabad, police and hospital sources said.
19 killed in suicide attack near Pakistan's Lal Masjid
Islamabad, July 6: Nineteen people - 18 policemen and one civilian - were killed and more than 40 injured in a suicide blast near a police station about 300 yards from the Lal Masjid in Pakistan's capital Sunday, police and hospital sources said.
Gilani a dummy, Zardari the kingmaker: Pakistani paper
Islamabad, July 4: One hundred days after he assumed office, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani remains a "dummy" while Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chair of the party that heads the country's ruling coalition...
Pakistan decries US claim on cross-border operation
Islamabad, July 3: Pakistan Thursday said its army has the sole responsibility of fighting terrorism on its soil and it would not allow cross-border operations by foreign troops in pursuit of the militants.
Awami National Party may quit Pakistan's ruling coalition
Islamabad, July 3: Angered over promises not being kept, the Awami National Party (ANP) could pull out of Pakistan's ruling coalition but this would not impact on the government of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
Pakistani minister to visit UN for Benazir killing probe
Islamabad, July 3 (Xinhua): Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Shah Qureshi would visit the UN headquarters in New York Tuesday for consultations with the world body for probe into the assassination....
Taliban abduct two journalists, PPP member in Pakistan
Islamabad, July 4 (Xinhua): Two Pakistani journalists were kidnapped Friday by Taliban insurgents in the country's north-western region, a media report said.
Britain to double its assistance to Pakistan
Islamabad, July 3 (DPA): Britain announced Thursday it will double its financial aid to militancy-hit Pakistan, making it to 480 million pounds (about $950 million) by 2011.
Pakistani troops clear Taliban stronghold in Kyber area
Islamabad, June 29 (DPA): Pakistani security forces Sunday gained more ground in Khyber tribal district of northwest Pakistan during an offensive against insurgents threatening key towns and the main supply route serving the NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Peshawar is not Srinagar that we want to capture: Taliban
Islamabad, June 28: The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has denounced reports that it planned to attack Peshawar, saying the North-West Frontier Province capital "is not Srinagar that we want to capture it".
Pakistan sends 'tough' message to militants, army given full powers
Islamabad, June 28: Pakistan's political and military leadership has warned Islamic militants in the country's restive northwest that the security challenge they posed would be met with a "firm hand".
Pakistan Supreme Court adjourns Sharif's election case
Islamabad, June 30 (Xinhua): Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday adjourned for two weeks an appeal against a ruling that barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from contesting a parliamentary by-election.
Taliban militants suspend talks with Pakistani government: reports
Islamabad, June 28 (Xinhua): Taliban militants in Pakistan Saturday suspended the peace talks with the government, blaming it for launching military operations in several parts of the country, AAJ TV reported.
Pakistan government appeals against Sharif's election ban
Islamabad, June 25 (DPA): Pakistan's coalition government Wednesday challenged a court verdict that barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from running in Thursday's by-election, a senior federal attorney said.
Pakistan's by-elections conclude, counting begins
Islamabad, June 26 (Xinhua): By-elections to Pakistan's five National Assembly seats and 23 provincial assembly seats concluded Thursday and counting of votes began, Geo TV channel reported.
Pakistan denies role in bid on Karzai's life
Islamabad, June 26 (DPA): Pakistan denied Thursday any role by its intelligence agency in the failed plot to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.
Supreme Court defers election in Sharif's constituency
Islamabad, June 25: Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday ordered that by-elections in Lahore constituency from where Nawaz Sharif was to contest be delayed following a Lahore High Court ruling that barred the former prime minister from contesting the poll.
PPP leader among four killed, resort hotel torched in Pakistan
Peshawar, June 26 (DPA): Pro-Taliban militants Thursday killed a leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) along with three members of his family, and separately set ablaze the country's only ski resort in northwest Pakistan.
Peshawar may fall to militants: report
Islamabad, June 25: Even as Pakistan negotiates peace deals with militants operating along the border with Afghanistan, there is a very real danger of these elements taking over the North West Frontier Province capital of Peshawar, a media report said Wednesday.
Musharraf could be impeached in July
Islamabad, June 24: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf could be impeached in July, albeit via an indirect route, with parliament washing its hands of the issue, a report here said Tuesday.
Militants kill 22 pro-government tribesmen in Pakistan
Islamabad, June 25 (DPA): Pro-Taliban militants executed 22 tribesmen they had held captive for two days in Pakistan's volatile north-western tribal regions, officials said Wednesday.
'Spectre of dismemberment over Pakistan'
Islamabad, June 22: The Pakistani government should heed the dire warning of a senior parliamentarian that the country faced "another dismemberment" if its provinces didn't receive their fair share of developmental funds, an editorial in a leading English daily Sunday said.
Sharif barred from contesting by-election
Lahore, June 23: Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was Monday disqualified by the Lahore High Court (LHC) from contesting this week's by-elections even as his party alleged the ruling was based on a "conspiracy".
Pakistan raises Supreme Court strength to 29
Islamabad, June 23: Pakistan has raised the strength of its Supreme Court to 29 to accommodate the judges President Pervez Musharraf had sacked after imposing an emergency last November.
Sectarian clashes kill over 18 in Pakistan
Islamabad, June 23 (DPA): At least 18 people were killed Monday in sectarian violence in Pakistan's two adjoining tribal districts, where pro-Taliban militants also abducted 17 law enforcers, officials and media reports said.
'Spectre of dismemberment over Pakistan'
Islamabad, June 22: The Pakistani government should heed the dire warning of a senior parliamentarian that the country faced "another dismemberment" if its provinces didn't receive their fair share of developmental funds, an editorial in a leading English daily Sunday said.
Musharraf will never address parliament: report
Islamabad, June 22: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf will "never deliver" his mandatory address to parliament because of the "hostile environment" that prevails in the National Assembly and the Senate, a media report Sunday said.
Pakistani troops attacking Western forces, says daily
London, June 22: Pakistani soldiers, infiltrated and influenced by Taliban militants, are joining in attacks on Western coalition forces, a newspaper reported Sunday quoting classified US documents.
Judge refuses to hear case on candidature of Sharif brothers
Islamabad, June 21: A judge of the Lahore High Court has refused to hear a case against the poll candidature of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif after a lawyer objected to the panel of judges.
North West Frontier Province seeks greater autonomy
Islamabad, June 22: Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has sought greater autonomy by abolishing the constitution's concurrent list that limits its legislative powers.
Raising Supreme Court strength will weaken it: expert
Islamabad, June 21: A noted constitutional expert has warned against increasing the strength of the Pakistani Supreme Court, saying it would weaken the institution.
Militants suspend peace deal in Pakistan's restive valley
Peshawar, June 18 (DPA): Pro-Taliban militants in the restive valley of Swat have said that they intended severing all contacts with the Pakistani government, accusing it of delaying the implementation of last month's peace agreement.
Former Musharraf ally MQM ready for his impeachment
Islamabad, June 20: Indicating the new direction Pakistan's political scene is taking, a former ally of beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf says it will support the move to impeach him if all those who had previously tampered with the constitution are similarly punished.
Convoy attack kills seven in north-west Pakistan
Islamabad, June 19 (DPA): At least seven people were killed and 28 injured when a food supply convoy came under attack in Pakistan's tribal district of Kurram, which has been in the grip of growing sectarian violence, officials said.
US urges Afghans, Pakistanis to cooperate on border security
Washington, June 18 (DPA): The US Tuesday urged the Afghan and Pakistani governments to work together to improve border security, after Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned he was willing to send troops into Pakistan to halt cross-border militant attacks.
Pakistan modifies peace pact with militants under US pressure: report
Islamabad, June 15: The Pakistani government has modified, under US pressure, a proposed peace pact with militants in the country's restive northwest to prevent cross-border activities on the frontier with Afghanistan, a media report Sunday said.
Gillani lauded for lawyers' peaceful Long March
Islamabad, June 15: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani's decision to allow participants of the lawyers' Long March to hold a rally in front of parliament here has drawn widespread appreciation from across the country.
Musharraf can be hanged for violating constitution: Sharif
Islamabad, June 14 (DPA): Pakistan's former premier and a major partner in the ruling coalition Nawaz Sharif said Saturday President Pervez Musharraf could be hanged for declaring a state of emergency late last year and sacking of more than 60 judges.
Musharraf urged to stop acting 'petulant, childish'
Islamabad, June 14: President Pervez Musharraf should desist from acting in a "petulant, childish manner" and accept the new reality that he was only a figurehead in the new dispensation, an editorial in a leading Pakistani daily said Saturday.
Pakistani lawyers' 'Long March' closes in on Islamabad
Islamabad, June 13: Thousands of lawyers from across Pakistan, participating in a 'Long March' to demand restoration of the judges President Musharraf had sacked after declaring emergency last November, were inching towards Parliament House here Friday.
Geo TV offers Musharraf a platform
Islamabad, June 13: Private broadcaster Geo TV has offered to air the views of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as his coverage on the state-run media has been severely curtailed.
Pakistan ready to restore sacked judges Friday?
Islamabad, June 12 (IANS): Pakistan's lawyers Thursday continued their march towards the capital as speculation intensified that the government was ready to give in to their demand and order the restoration of judges -- but also keep on the existing Supreme Court judges.
Peshawar may slip into militant hands, Pak daily
Islamabad, June 11: Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) capital Peshawar could slip into the hands of militants within a few months if the government does not take adequate measures to arrest the growing trend of militancy, a media report said Wednesday.
ISI not aiding Taliban militants, claims official
Islamabad, June 11: Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has refuted allegations that its personnel were assisting Taliban militants to cross over into the country from Afghanistan.
Islamabad blockaded, but lawyers confident of holding protest
Islamabad, June 11: The Pakistani government fortified Islamabad Wednesday to prevent a group of lawyers, activists and lay people, demanding reinstatement of judges sacked by the president last year, from marching into the city. However, lawyers here claimed about 10,000 of them were living in hiding in the capital and would carry the movement forward.
20 Pakistanis killed in attack near Afghan border
Islamabad, June 11 (IANS): Twenty people, including 11 security personnel, were killed when a border check-post of paramilitary forces in Mohmand agency in tribal areas of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, was destroyed Wednesday by coalition forces in that country in an aerial attack.
Pakistan summons US envoy over coalition bombing
Islamabad, June 11 (Xinhua): Pakistan Wednesday summoned the US envoy and lodged a protest over air raids by coalition forces Tuesday night in the country's tribal region, killing at least 11 soldiers, according to media reports.
In a first, Pakistan's parliament to debate defence budget
Islamabad, June 11 (IANS): For the first time, Pakistan's parliament will debate the defence budget. In the past, this was passed without its details being revealed.
Pakistan's economic scenario grim: survey
Islamabad, June 11: Pakistan has missed all its macroeconomic targets during the outgoing fiscal due to domestic and external shocks, the economic survey for the year says.
PPP vows to slash Musharraf's authority
Islamabad, June 8 (DPA): Pakistan's ruling party has said it will pursue the proposed constitutional amendments to curb the powers of President Pervez Musharraf, who can also be sent home democratically, media reports said Sunday.
Pakistan scraps peace deal with militants
Islamabad, June 9 (Xinhua): The Pakistani government has scrapped a peace deal with the militants in the northwest, saying the insurgents have reneged on their promise to stop violence, a senior official said here Monday.
Pakistan lawyers march to demand reinstatement of judges (Lead)
Islamabad, June 9 (IANS) Hundreds of lawyers, political activists and members of general public Monday launched a four-day march towards Pakistan's capital for restoration of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last November.
Musharraf resigned to his fate, but not worried: editorials
Islamabad, June 8: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf seems resigned to his fate "whatever that may be" but would not like to be disgraced or humiliated - and his departure from office could be a while away, editorials in the Pakistani media Sunday said.
PML-N asks Musharraf to step down
Islamabad, June 8 (DPA): Pakistan's second-largest coalition party Sunday asked President Pervez Musharraf to resign forthwith as the days of his defeated political allies seem to be numbered.
I will not quit, says Musharraf
Islamabad, June 7: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared Saturday that he would not resign now and would take a decision on this in the best interests of the country if ever needed.
PPP could face revolt on judges' restoration
Islamabad, June 7: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that heads the country's ruling coalition could face a revolt on the issue of restoring the judges sacked after an emergency was declared last year. Over 100 of its MPs are threatening to join a protest march lawyers have planned for Tuesday to demand immediate reinstatement of the judges.
Pakistan frees dozens of pro-Taliban militants under peace deal
Peshawar, June 5 (DPA): The government in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) has freed dozens of militants under a peace deal with the militants who have fought the security forces to enforce Taliban- style rule in the restive valley of Swat, officials said.
Diplomats in Pakistan a puzzled lot
Islamabad, June 6 (IANS): As Pakistan's political circus continues unabated, foreign diplomats here are at their wits end in figuring out when ringmaster Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the country's ruling coalition, will script the last act.
Blast kills five in NWFP
Islamabad, June 7 (DPA): A remote-controlled bomb targeting law enforcers killed five people, including three policemen, in Pakistan's North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP), police said Saturday.
Pakistan protests US missile strikes in tribal areas
Islamabad, June 5 (Xinhua): Pakistan Thursday said it had lodged "a very strong protest" with the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan against missile strikes along the border that killed at least 10 people.
Sacked chief justice can serve as ordinary judge: PPP
Islamabad, June 5: In yet another twist to the saga involving sacked Pakistani Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, it has been suggested that he be restored - but as an ordinary judge.
Pakistan seeks $6 bn aid from Saudi Arabia in return for land
Islamabad, June 7: Pakistan will seek $6 billion aid from Saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's visit, in return offering land for growing and exporting wheat.
Al Qaeda claims responsibility for Danish embassy attack
Islamabad, June 5 (Xinhua): Al Qaeda has said it was behind an attack on Denmark's embassy in Pakistan, which left eight people dead and around 30 injured, local newspaper The News reported Thursday.
Pakistan rules out talks with Al Qaeda
Islamabad, June 5 (Xinhua): Pakistan Thursday said it would not hold talks with Al Qaeda on its territory although it is engaged in negotiations with Pakistani Islamist militants.
Sharif demands Musharraf's trial over Kargil
Islamabad, June 3: Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif said Tuesday that President Pervez Musharraf should be tried for treason for his "misadventure" in the Kargil war against India.
Eight killed in Islamabad bombing, India House hit
Islamabad, June 2: Up to eight people, including possibly a foreigner, were killed in a suicide car bombing outside the visa section of the Danish embassy here Monday. The powerful blast, heard in a radius of five kilometres, also damaged windowpanes of the nearby India House, the Indian envoy's official residence.
Nawaz Sharif, brother allowed to contest by-elections
Islamabad, June 1 (Xinhua): Pakistan's election commission Sunday allowed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to run in a parliamentary by-election.
'Sharif was not informed of Kargil by Musharraf'
Islamabad, June 3 (IANS): President Pervez Musharraf's former aide, Lt. Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiani, said Monday evening that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not informed about the 1999 Kargil operation by Musharraf who was then army chief.
'Pakistan in a blind alley'
Islamabad, June 1: Lack of confidence in the political and military leadership of Pakistan, as also their lack of initiative, has pushed the country "into a blind alley while a defeated but stubborn president seems determined to avenge his humiliation by destroying the political system which he has failed to control", a leading commentator said Sunday.
Poll panel split on Sharifs' eligibility to contest by-polls
Lahore, May 31 (IANS): A two-member Election Tribunal Saturday delivered a split verdict on former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif's eligibility to contest the June 26 parliamentary by-elections and referred the matter to the chief election commissioner (CEC).
Zardari eyeing presidency, says Pak daily
Islamabad, May 31: Pakistan's ruling coalition has reached an agreement on turning the heat on President Pervez Musharraf to pave the way for Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of alliance leader Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to ascend to the office, a newspaper report said Saturday.
Bush lends Musharraf a helping hand
Islamabad, May 31: US President George Bush has telephoned embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and assured him of his full backing in his struggle to remain in power.
Musharraf on verge of being flown out of Pakistan: report
Islamabad, May 30: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is on the verge of quitting with a special aircraft being positioned to fly him out and Senate chair Muhammadmian Soomro being asked to cut short his foreign tour and return home, a newspaper report said Friday.
Musharraf would be removed when people want: Zardari
Islamabad, May 30: President Pervez Musharraf will be removed "when the people of Pakistan ask for it and when parliament acts on it", Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said Friday.
Pakistani president dismisses resignation rumours
Islamabad, May 30 (DPA): Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has dismissed the speculations of his resignation as "part of a malicious campaign to create unrest in the country", media reports said Friday.
Pakistan requests UN to investigate Bhutto's murder
Islamabad, May 30 (DPA): Pakistan has formally asked the United Nations to probe the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, her husband Asif Ali Zardari said Friday.
Hidden forces working to impose martial law: Zardari
Islamabad, May 29: Charging "hidden forces" with attempting to impose martial law, Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has warned that any move against the government may snuff out democracy in the country.
Musharraf has decided to quit: daily
Islamabad, May 29: Beleaguered Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has "made up his mind to call it a day" and he may do so in the very near future, a newspaper reported Thursday.
Musharraf under pressure from all quarters to quit
Islamabad, May 28 (IANS): President Pervez Musharraf, all-powerful ruler of Pakistan from October 1999 till recently, is under pressure to quit from almost all quarters including some of his former aides in the army.
Ask Musharraf to vacate Army House: petition
Islamabad, May 29: Pakistan's Supreme Court has been urged to direct President Pervez Musharraf to vacate the Army House as he is no longer entitled to stay there.
'Pakistan swapped Taliban leaders for envoy'
Islamabad, May 28: Pakistan swapped two senior Taliban leaders for the release of its kidnapped envoy to Afghanistan, a media report said Wednesday.
Pakistan's coalition government pushing Musharraf to resign
Islamabad, May 26 (IANS): The coalition government and the presidency in Pakistan are fast moving towards a possible showdown, with President Pervez Musharraf likely to choose to "resign from office", official sources said Monday.
PPP readies to clip Musharraf's powers
Islamabad, May 24: The Pakistan president's powers to dismiss parliament and to appoint Supreme Court judges, governors and the chief election commissioner will be taken away under proposed constitutional amendments, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said Saturday.
US senator asks PPP, PML-N to 'accept' Musharraf
Islamabad, May 26 (IANS): US Senator Russ Feingold met Pakistan's top leadership Monday and conveyed the desire of his country's establishment that President Pervez Musharraf be allowed to continue with ceremonial powers and not be "humiliated", sources here said.
Zardari under US pressure to meet Musharraf
Islamabad, May 26: The US is making a concerted effort to persuade Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to meet President Pervez Musharraf and develop a working relationship with him.
Sacked judges to be restored: Zardari
Islamabad, May 24: Pakistan's political roller coaster continues. Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has declared finally that the judges sacked after President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency last year would be reinstated.
Sectarian violence kills five in Pakistan
Islamabad, May 26 (DPA): Four Shia Muslims were gunned down in a suspected sectarian attack in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province Monday, the police said.
US for civilian control of Pakistani spy agencies
Islamabad, May 24: The US favours civilian control of Pakistan's spy agencies, including those of the military, the country's political leadership has been informed.
Pakistan plans major constitutional changes
Islamabad, May 23: Pakistan plans to amend around two dozen articles of the constitution but there is a huge question mark over whether the ruling coalition will be able the muster two-thirds majority required in parliament to approve the measure.
Musharraf's turn to flex muscle with Pakistan Peoples Party
Islamabad, May 23 (IANS): President Pervez Musharraf has sent strong signals to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led coalition government not to take any steps aimed at curtailing his powers, especially to dismiss parliament and appoint armed services chiefs, sources in the government said.
Pakistan adopts three-point strategy to curb terrorism
Islamabad, May 23 (Xinhua): Pakistan has adopted a comprehensive three-point strategy to address militancy and terrorism in the country, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Friday.
Pakistan asks UN to probe Bhutto killing
Islamabad, May 22: Pakistan Thursday demanded a UN probe into the assassination of former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Benazir Bhutto.
Musharraf to resist moves to remove him
Islamabad, May 22: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has served notice that he would firmly resist moves to curb his powers or remove him from office, saying he has the support of "powerful" friends like the US.
Pakistan preparing honourable exit for Musharraf?
Islamabad, May 21: The Pakistani government is preparing the ground for President Pervez Musharraf's honourable exit from office by indemnifying him against the steps he took after declaring an emergency last November.
Pakistan signs peace accord with Swat Valley militants
Peshawar (Pakistan), May 21 (DPA): The Pakistani government Wednesday signed a peace accord with militants seeking to impose Taliban-style Islamic rule in the country's restive valley of Swat.
Militant attack, sectarian violence kills five in Pakistan
Islamabad, May 21 (DPA): At least five people, including a policeman, were killed in overnight attacks by pro-Taliban militants and sectarian violence in north-west Pakistan, officials said Wednesday.
Pakistan's per capita income rises to $1,027
Islamabad, May 21 (IANS): Pakistan's per capita income has risen to $1,027 in fiscal 2007-08 against $878 in the last financial year.
Pakistan moves to curb presidential, Supreme Court powers
Islamabad, May 20: The Pakistani government is preparing to curb the powers of the president and the Supreme Court chief justice by moving a constitutional amendment to remove ambiguities in the statute.
Retired Pakistani generals to march against Musharraf
Islamabad, May 20: Retired Pakistani Army generals, including some who mentored President Pervez Musharraf, are planning a long march and a sit-in before the Army House in Rawalpindi to force him to vacate so his successor as army chief can move in.
Zardari favours 'cooperative' India-Pakistan ties
Islamabad, May 20: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari underlined the need to work towards a "cooperative relationship" and resolve all pending issues between India and Pakistan as he met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee here Tuesday.
Four soldiers among 13 killed in Pakistan blast
Islamabad, May 18 (DPA): At least 13 people, including four security personnel, were killed and more than 20 were injured Sunday when a suicide bomber blew himself up near an army base in north-west Pakistan, officials said.
Pakistani lawyers to march for return of deposed judges
Islamabad, May 18: Pakistani lawyers are to begin a "long march" across the country June 10 to demand the reinstatement of Supreme Court and High Court judges who were dismissed after President Pervez Musharraf declared an emergency last November.
Pakistani Army backs government's initiatives in tribal areas
Islamabad, May 18: The Pakistani Army fully backs the newly-elected government's peace initiatives in the restive tribal areas in the north, a senior officer has said.
British officials can seize Pakistani passports at Pakistani airports
Islamabad, May 19: British officials have been given powers to check and even confiscate Pakistani passports at Pakistani airports from passengers traveling to Britain, a move that has raised the hackles of many passengers.
Benazir's niece calls Zardari the killer of her father
London, May 18: Fatima Bhutto, niece of the slain former Pakistani premier Benazir, said in comments published Sunday she will continue to pursue her aunt's widower Asif Ali Zardari whom she accuses of involvement in her father's death.
Pakistani envoy to Afghanistan recovered from tribal region
Islamabad, May 17 (DPA): Pakistan Saturday claimed that it had recovered its ambassador to Afghanistan from the country's restive tribal region where he was held for over three months by pro-Taliban militants, and that no deal was made to secure his release.
Nomination papers accepted, Sharif can contest elections
Pakistani electoral authorities have dismissed objections to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif contesting a parliamentary by-election next month. In a significant move, the nomination papers of the Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz Sharif to contest the upcoming by-elections were accepted on May 15th by poll officials.
Now PPP and PML-N spat over Punjab governor
Islamabad, May 16: The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its ally Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are embroiled in a fresh row - this time over journalist-businessman Salmaan Taseer who has been named the governor of Punjab province.
No deadline to restore judges, says Zardari
Islamabad, May 14: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said Wednesday his party will restore the sacked judges but it will be done through a "parliament act" and he cannot give any deadline for it.
Pakistani government and Islamic militants agree on prisoner swap
Islamabad, May 14 (DPA): The government and Islamic militants were set to exchange dozens of prisoners Wednesday ahead of a formal peace deal between the sides in Pakistan's restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, media reports said.
'Sharif, not Zardari calling the shots in Pakistan'
Islamabad, May 14: Contrary to popular perception, it now emerges that it is former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and not Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that heads the country's ruling coalition, who is calling the shots in Pakistan's political roller coaster ride.
PML-N ministers resign from Pakistan cabinet
Islamabad, May 13: A day after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif announced his party's withdrawal from the cabinet, nine federal ministers of the party Tuesday submitted their resignations over disagreement on the issue of sacked judges.
Musharraf a 'virus' that is bad for democracy: PML-N
Islamabad, May 13: A leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Tuesday compared President Pervez Musharraf to a "dangerous virus" that was harmful for Pakistan's democracy and said it was important to remove him.
Nawaz pulls out of cabinet, to give outside support
Islamabad, May 12: Pakistan slipped into a political crisis after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Monday decided to pull out of the cabinet following failure of talks with coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over the restoration of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last year.
Lawyers observe 'black day' as talks on judges' restoration fail
Islamabad, May 12: The issue of reinstatement of judges, sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last year, was pushed to the centre-stage of Pakistani politics Monday with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz pulling out of the coalition cabinet and lawyers across Pakistan observing a 'black day'.
Pakistan's Supreme Court withdraws media gag order
Islamabad, May 12: Minutes after it issued an order banning coverage of the vexed issue of restoration of judges, Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday toned down its directive following protests by journalists and lawyers.
US joins PPP, PML-N talks but deadlock persists
London, May 11: A senior US official joined Pakistani leaders for talks in London Sunday but the last-ditch mediation bid reportedly failed to break a prolonged deadlock on whether to reinstate judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.
Pakistani PM says coalition will not split
Islamabad, May 11 (Xinhua): Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said the coalition will not split as it has to steer Pakistan out of crises.
Compromise formula: two Supreme Courts for Pakistan?
Islamabad, May 10: Pakistan may end up having two Supreme Courts to break the deadlock between the two ruling coalition parties over the restoration of higher court judges sacked last year by President Pervez Musharraf.
Sharif turns on the heat after inconclusive talks with Zardari
Islamabad, May 10: The main constituents of Pakistan's fragile ruling alliance were at loggerheads again Saturday - a day after seven hours of London talks failed to break a deadlock on whether to reinstate judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.
I'm powerless, says Zardari after seven hours of talks
London, May 10 (IANS): The two leaders of Pakistan's ruling alliance have failed to reach agreement on the important issue of reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf, agreeing to disagree after seven hours of inconclusive talks here.
PML-N threatens to quit cabinet over judges
Islamabad, May 10 (IANS): The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-Nawaz) has again threatened to quit the cabinet if judges of the higher courts sacked by President Pervez Musharraf are not given back their jobs by Monday.
Pakistan, militants agree to truce in Swat Valley
Islamabad, May 9 (DPA): Pakistani government and the pro-Taliban militants Friday agreed on a ceasefire in Pakistan's restive north-western district of Swat, hours after a policeman was killed in an attack on a security convoy in the area, officials said.
Pakistan releases rebel nationalist leader
Islamabad, May 9 (DPA): Pakistani authorities Friday released a nationalist and senior rebel leader, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, as part of reconciliatory efforts to end violence in the insurgency-hit south-western province of Balochistan.
Pakistan sets conditions for talks with militants
Islamabad, May 8 (Xinhua): Pakistan Thursday set three conditions for possible talks with militants in the country, saying military action is not the only way to wipe out terrorism and extremism.
Pakistan may be launching point of future Al Qaeda strikes'
Washington, May 8: Pakistan's tribal region is the most likely launching point of future Al Qaeda terrorist strikes around the world, says a senior US lawmaker seeking a review of Washington's Pakistan policy.
Zardari, Sharif to meet in London to discuss judges restoration
Islamabad, May 7: Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the two top leader of the main partners in Pakistan's ruling coalition, will meet in London to discuss the vexed issue of the restoration of judges after their talks in Dubai last week failed to iron out their differences.
Three killed in suicide attack in Pakistan
Islamabad, May 6 (Xinhua): A suicide bomber Tuesday tried to attack a security check post in northwestern Pakistan, killing three people and injuring five others, local TV channel Dawn News reported.
Pakistan pumps in $6 mn to hold sliding rupee
Islamabad, May 7 (Xinhua): Pakistan's central bank said Wednesday it has pumped $6 million in the market through the exchange companies in a bid to hold the sinking rupee.
Pakistan postpones by-polls a second time
Islamabad, May 5: Citing the law and order situation and the forthcoming budget, the Election Commission of Pakistan Monday postponed the June 18 by-elections by two months, triggering shock among the ruling coalition.
Shahbaz Sharif files nomination papers for by-elections
Islamabad, May 5 (Xinhua): Shahbaz Sharif, president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Monday filed his nomination papers to contest the June 18 by-elections, Geo TV reported.
No dialogue with terrorists: Gillani
Islamabad, May 4 (Xinhua): Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said Sunday the government would not enter into dialogue with any terrorist or extremist, the official APP news agency reported.
Taliban asks Pakistan's tribesmen to grow beards
Islamabad, May 5: Taliban has asked tribesmen in Pakistan's northwestern region to grow beards within two months or else face punishment under the Islamic laws, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported Monday.
Militants burn down girls' school in north-west Pakistan
Peshawar, May 4 (DPA): A high school for girls in Pakistan's north-west Swat district was destroyed after militants set it ablaze in an overnight raid, police and officials said Sunday.
Pakistan judges to return through act of parliament: Sharif
Lahore, May 2: All deposed judges of Pakistan's Supreme Court will be restored to their posts through a parliamentary resolution May 12, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif announced Friday.
Pakistan's new judiciary will not be independent warns Pak daily
Islamabad, May 3: After the reinstatement of the deposed judges May 12, Pakistan will see a mixed bag of judges - those who refused to bow to President Pervez Musharraf and those who did, a newspaper said Saturday.
Sharif, Zardari conclude talks, promise 'good news'
Dubai/Islamabad, May 1: Pakistan's main ruling partners Thursday ended the final round of their talks in Dubai on reinstating sacked judges without any disclosure of their decision, but said they have "good news" for the nation.
10 killed in Pakistan as teen bomber blows up himself
Islamabad, May 1: At least 10 people were killed and several injured Thursday when a 14-year-old boy with bombs tied to his body detonated himself in a seminary in Pakistan's Bara town, near Peshawar, police said.
Al Qaeda using Pakistan to rebuild leadership: US
Washington, May 1: Al Qaeda has used tribal areas of Pakistan to rebuild its leadership and replace killed or captured fighters, and has forged regional alliances with militants in Africa, according to the US State Department.
A month, and Pakistanis unhappy with government
Islamabad, April 30: The new ruling coalition in Pakistan has failed to satisfy the people in its first month of governance, media reported Wednesday.
Pakistan's ruling coalition on verge of collapse
Islamabad, April 30: The ruling coalition of Pakistan has been pushed to the brink of collapse in the wake of a serious standoff between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the reinstatement of deposed judges, the media reported Wednesday.
Coalition meeting to restore judges ends in deadlock
Dubai/Islamabad, April 29 (IANS): Talks in Dubai between Pakistan's ruling coalition partners - the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - to finalise the restoration of the judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf when he imposed emergency Nov 3 last year ended inconclusively.
People want me to solve Kashmir quickly: Zardari
Islamabad, April 29: Pakistan's ruling party chief Asif Ali Zardari has said people wanted him to resolve the Kashmir issue, which had been pending for 60 years, "within days".
Islamic militants suspend peace talks with Pakistan
Peshawar, April 28 (DPA): Pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan Monday said they would call off their peace talks with the government and threatened to resume attacks on security forces.
Zardari tied down by Benazir-Musharraf pact, says Pak daily
Islamabad, April 29: A pre-election deal brokered between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto continues to haunt her widower Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that heads the ruling coalition, who finds his hands tied because of the pact.
Foreigners spreading terror in tribal areas: Musharraf
Lahore, April 27: Foreign militants are spreading terror in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) adjoining Afghanistan, President Pervez Musharraf has said.
Restoration of Pakistan's sacked judges may be delayed
Islamabad, April 26: The Pakistan government has virtually delayed restoration of deposed judges after sending parliament into an indefinite recess without taking up the much-awaited resolution.
'Foreign secretary removed for opposing UN probe into Bhutto killing'
Islamabad, April 27: Riaz Mohammad Khan was unceremoniously removed as Pakistan's foreign secretary due to his strong opposition to a UN probe into former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a media report Sunday said.
'Pakistan parliament to restore judges in its own way'
Islamabad, April 27: Pakistan's parliament will decide the fate of the deposed judges as parts of a package, a member of the ruling coalition's joint committee set up for the purpose says.
Nawaz Sharif confident of sacked judges' restoration
Islamabad, April 26: Former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif Saturday said all judges deposed by President Pervez Musharraf last November would be restored by April 30. But there are speculations that the government may not be able to do so as parliament has been prorogued indefinitely without taking up the much-awaited resolution.
Pakistan forces newspaper to print rebuttal
Islamabad, April 27: The information ministry has forwarded letters from two Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) supporters to an English newspaper and asked it to print them to rebut an article criticising party leader Asif Ali Zardari.
Pakistan begins peace talks with tribal leaders, Taliban
Islamabad, April 25: Pakistan has begun peace talks with tribal leaders in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan, and with Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud who is widely believed to be the mastermind behind the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Musharraf breaks bread with his opponents
Islamabad, April 25: President Pervez Musharraf broke bread with some of his bitterest opponents at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani here.
Three killed in Pakistan bomb blast
Islamabad, April 25 (Xinhua): At least three people were killed and 30 injured in a bomb blast in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Friday.
Pakistan faces a famine, warns leading daily
Islamabad, April 25: Pakistan is "fast" running out of water and power and faces a famine in which the people will go "real hungry" in the not too distant future, a newspaper editorial said Friday.
Pakistan could ink peace pact with Taliban
Islamabad, April 24: The Pakistani government could be on the verge of signing a peace pact with the Taliban to end militant activities in its territory bordering Afghanistan.
Sacked Pakistani chief justice a stumbling block for coalition
Islamabad, April 24: Sacked Pakistani chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has become a stumbling block as the country's ruling coalition moves to keep its promise to reinstate all Supreme Court and High Court judges President Pervez Musharaff axed after declaring an emergency in November.
US backs Pakistan's negotiations with militants
Washington, April 24: The US has expressed support for the new Pakistan government's move to negotiate with militants who lay down their arms, saying it was the outcome - the end of Al Qaeda and other extremists - that matters.
Pro-Taliban militant leader directs halt to attacks in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 24 (DPA): Top leader of pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan has directed his comrades "to immediately cease their activities" as the government inches toward signing a peace accord with the rebels, media reports said Thursday.
Iranian president to visit Pakistan April 28
Islamabad, April 24 (Xinhua): Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will pay a brief visit to Pakistan April 28 for talks with the country's new leadership, foreign office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said Thursday.
Ruling coalition closer to reinstating sacked judges
Islamabad, April 23: Pakistan's ruling coalition has moved a step closer to restoring Supreme Court and High Court judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf by setting up a committee to work out the modalities.
Pakistan close to pact with warring Waziristan tribe
Islamabad, April 23: The Pakistan government is close to a pact with South Waziristan's Mehsud tribe to end militancy, exchange prisoners and gradually withdraw the military so as to restore peace in the volatile region.
Pakistan, Afghanistan renew pledge to fight terrorism
Islamabad, April 23 (DPA): Pakistan and Afghanistan Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating terrorism and enhancing bilateral economic relations.
10 Taliban, one Pakistani trooper killed in border clashes (Lead)
Islamabad, April 23 (DPA): At least 10 Taliban militants and one Pakistani paramilitary trooper were killed Wednesday in clashes on the border with Afghanistan, the Pakistani military said.
Supreme Court ruling allows Zardari to contest polls
Islamabad, April 21: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday waived the minimum eligibility criteria that a candidate needed to be a graduate to contest the national and provincial parliaments, paving the way for Asif Ali Zardari, the head of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to contest the June 18 by-polls.
Pakistan frees head of terror group on eve of peace talks
Peshawar, April 21 (DPA): The Pakistani government Monday released the head of a banned Islamic organisation as part of its peace talks with the militants in restive northwest valley of Swat, officials said.
Pakistan to host tripartite summit on regional peace
Islamabad, April 20: Afghanistan and Turkey will join hosts Pakistan in June for their second tripartite summit to discuss peace and stability in the region.
Britain supports peace talks in Pakistan to fight terror
Peshawar/Islamabad, April 20 (DPA): Britain on Sunday favoured a negotiated settlement to quell terrorism in Pakistan's north-western tribal region, but emphasized that there was no "quick fix" either through military means or dialogue.
Ready to become PM if needed: Zardari
Islamabad, April 20: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari says he will contest the June 18 by-poll to the lower house of parliament and could take over as prime minister if the "need arises".
Pakistan says no foreign access to strategic nuclear assets
Islamabad, April 17 (Xinhua): Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said the government would not give any foreign country access to its strategic nuclear assets.
Pakistan seeks Saarc help in Bhutto killing probe
Islamabad, April 17 (DPA): Pakistan Thursday sought the cooperation of other South Asian governments in investigating the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto late last year.
Pakistani, Afghan forces clash over flour smuggling
Islamabad, April 14 (DPA): Pakistani paramilitary soldiers Monday engaged in a gunfight with Afghan forces along Balochistan border when the Pakistani forces tried to stop the smuggling of wheat flour, the military said in a statement.
Party ministers not to meet, travel with Musharraf: PML-N
Islamabad, April 13 (Xinhua): The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said Sunday the party's ministers in the coalition federal government will not meet, or travel with, President Pervez Musharraf.
Free again, Pakistani media promises to be vigilant
Karachi, April 14 (IANS): Veteran Pakistani journalists have welcomed moves to lift restrictions on the media imposed by President Pervez Musharraf but say they will be watchful of the new government as well.
New Pakistan government moves to abolish media checks
Islamabad, April 11 (DPA): Pakistan's new government Friday set the ball rolling to abolish media curbs imposed by President Pervez Musharraf when he declared emergency rule in the country in November.
Eight killed, over a dozen injured in Karachi violence
Karachi, April 9: At least eight people were killed and over a dozen were injured as rival groups of lawyers clashed in this southern port city of Pakistan Wednesday.
Gillani's 100-day plan mere wish list?
Karachi, April 10 (IANS): The 100-day reforms package announced by Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani may have been widely hailed but experts say it could turn out to be just another round of hollow promises to appease the masses.
One killed, 12 injured in Karachi violence
Islamabad, April 9 (Xinhua): One person was killed and 12 were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire after violence erupted in the Pakistani port city of Karachi Wednesday, Dawn TV reported.
Government offers peace talks to rebels in Pakistan
Islamabad, April 9 (DPA): The new chief minister of Pakistan's restive south western Baluchistan province said Wednesday his government would hold peace talks with the armed nationalist rebels, who have waged a war against security forces for the last three years.
'Musharraf agrees to work with reduced powers'
Islamabad, April 7: A Pakistani cabinet minister is mediating between the government and President Pervez Musharraf to reach a consensus over a constitutional amendment that will reduce him to a figurehead following US pressure on the ruling coalition to not impeach the former army general.
Pakistan may lift restriction on A. Q. Khan
Islamabad, April 7 (Xinhua): Pakistan Monday hinted it may lift the restrictions on nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, under house arrest since January 2004.
Nawaz Sharif to contest by-elections in June
Islamabad, April 4 (Xinhua): Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif will take part in the by-elections scheduled in June, seeking an entry in parliament, media reports said Friday.
A Q Khan hopes for freedom under new government
Islamabad, April 2 (DPA): Pakistan's disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan termed his detention as "illegal" and said he hoped the new government would soon free him, according to an interview published Wednesday.
Pakistan rejects Afghan claim on nuclear waste
Islamabad, April 2: Pakistan termed as baseless a statement by an Afghan cabinet minister that Pakistan had dumped nuclear waste in southern Afghanistan during Taliban period.
Nawaz's party ministers take oath with black armbands
Islamabad, March 31: Members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Monday took oath as federal ministers from President Pervez Musharraf wearing black armbands as a token of protest against him.
Army back in barracks, talks with militants: Gillani's new agenda
Islamabad, March 29: The army should return to barracks in a fortnight, militants should come forward for talks and the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the wishes of the Kashmiris, Pakistan's new premier Yousaf Raza Gillani said here Saturday after getting a "unanimous" vote of confidence from the National Assembly.
Pakistan's coalition government will last full term: partners
Lahore, March 30: The major partners in Pakistan's ruling coalition Sunday reaffirmed they would stick together for the government to continue for five years, and said they would work for democracy and for the well being of the people.
Pakistani PM extends talks offer to militants
Islamabad, March 29: Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani Saturday called upon the pro-Taliban militants in the country's tribal areas to lay down arms and hold talks with the government.
Kashmiris' wishes paramount while resolving issue: Gillani
Islamabad, March 29: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said Saturday that his government wants the Kashmir issue to be resolved in accordance with UN resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.
US seeks Pakistan's cooperation in fight against terrorism
Islamabad, March 29: A senior US official said Friday that "very dangerous people" were planning attacks along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, but the US would respect the new government's stance on how to deal with them and the war against terror.
23 killed in clashes in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad, March 28: At least 23 people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between the rival Sunni and Shia Muslims in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, officials said Friday.
US seeks Pakistan's cooperation in fight against terrorism
Islamabad, March 29: A senior US official said Friday that "very dangerous people" were planning attacks along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, but the US would respect the new government's stance on how to deal with them and the war against terror.
23 killed in clashes in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad, March 28: At least 23 people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between the rival Sunni and Shia Muslims in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, officials said Friday.
Two Pakistani anti-terrorism intelligence officers shot dead
Islamabad, March 28: Two intelligence officers involved in operations against the Al Qaeda have been shot dead by gunmen in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi.
US opposes Pakistan's intended talks with militants
Islamabad, March 27: A senior US official Thursday opposed the new Pakistani government's intended talks with pro-Taliban militants who have launched a series of suicide attacks on security forces in recent months.
Pakistan's economy to remain strong: UN report
Islamabad, March 27: Pakistan's economy is expected to remain strong with a growth rate of 6.5 percent, despite many challenges, a UN report said Thursday.
Pakistan summons Dutch ambassador over anti-Islam film
Islamabad, March 28: Pakistan Friday summoned the Netherlands' ambassador and lodged a strong protest with him on the Internet release of a film by Dutch lawmaker, saying it defamed Islam.
Pakistan to continue to fight terror: Gillani tells US
Islamabad, March 26 (IANS): Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani Wednesday told US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte that Islamabad "would continue to fight" terror but called for a broader approach to the problem.
Pakistan to continue comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism
Islamabad, March 25: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday said the country would continue to pursue a comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism.
Gillani takes oath as Pakistan's new prime minister
Islamabad, March 25: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday administered the oath of office to Makhdoom Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as the country's new prime minister.
Pakistani tribesmen kidnap 40 Afghans
Islamabad, March 26: Armed tribesmen in Pakistan's northwest Wednesday took hostage 40 Afghans travelling in a bus to press their demand for release of their compatriots arrested in Afghanistan.
Pakistan's ruling coalition decides on key ministries
Islamabad, March 25: Pakistan's ruling coalition has reached a consensus on five major ministries, one of which, the foreign ministry, would go to Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), sources said Tuesday.
Gillani elected Pakistan prime minister
Islamabad, March 24 (IANS): Yousaf Raza Gillani, the candidate of a coalition led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was Monday elected the country's 20th prime minister with a huge margin as Pakistan took what is seen as the final step in transition to democracy.
Suspended chief justice Chaudhry, other judges freed
Islamabad, March 24: Barricades at the judges colony here were removed and suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry along with other judges was freed from house arrest Monday evening, soon after new Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani promised their release.
Zardari acquitted in Karachi murder case
Islamabad, March 24: A court in southern Pakistan's port city of Karachi Monday acquitted Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in a murder case.
Musharraf pledges support for new government
Islamabad, March 23: Two days before he swears in a new prime minister whose party is not too well disposed towards him, President Pervez Musharraf said Sunday that the period of real democracy has begun in Pakistan and he is fully prepared to work with the new government.
Gillani set to take oath as Pakistan PM
Islamabad, March 23: Makhdoom Yousaf Raza Gillani will take oath as Pakistan's 20th prime minister Tuesday morning from the man who jailed him in 2001 for five years on corruption charges.
Pakistan shuts down rebel radio stations
Islamabad, March 21: Security forces Friday shut down three illegal FM radio stations for airing speeches of a pro-Taliban cleric in Pakistan's restive north-western valley of Swat, the military said.
Pakistan's premier to be named when parliament meets Mar 24
Islamabad, March 20: Pakistan's National Assembly or the lower house of parliament will convene Monday and the coalition-leading Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will name the new prime minister, officials said Thursday.
Five troops killed in Pakistan suicide blast, Taliban claims responsibility
Islamabad, March 20: Five government soldiers were killed and nine others injured Thursday when a suicide bomber blew himself and his vehicle up next to their patrol, the army said.
Pakistan parliament votes its first woman speaker
Islamabad, March 19: Fahmida Mirza, a former medical doctor, became the first woman speaker of the National Assembly as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its allies, poised to form the government, showed their strength and voted for her.
Five suspects formally charged for Bhutto murder
Islamabad, March 18: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court Tuesday formally charged five people for their involvement in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Butto, officials said. Bhutto was murdered in a gun and suicide attack Dec 27 at an election rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Pakistan parliament to elect speaker, deputy speaker on Wednesday
Islamabad, March 17: Election for speaker and deputy speaker of Pakistan's new National Assembly will be held Wednesday, Speaker of the outgoing house Chaudhry Amir Hussain said Monday.
The National Assembly will meet at 11 a.m. (0600GMT) to elect the two officers of the house, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported.
Pakistan to make progress on democracy: Musharraf
Islamabad, March 17: Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf Monday termed the convening of the new parliament as an historical event and expressed confidence that Pakistan would continue to make progress on the path of democracy and economic growth.
Pakistan parliament sworn in under tight security
Islamabad, March 17: Pakistan's 13th National Assembly was sworn in Monday under tight security and hanging questions about who will lead the coalition government.
Missile attack kills 20 in Pakistan's tribal region
Islamabad, March 16: Missiles fired from an unknown location killed 20 suspected militants in a house in the tribal Waziristan region in northwest Pakistan Sunday, according to local news reports.
Who is going to be Pakistan's new prime minister?
Islamabad, March 16 (IANS) As the National Assembly meets Monday for the inaugural session, it is yet not clear who will be the prime minister in the new coalition set up to be led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Pakistani MPs' 'constitutional dilemma' as session begins Monday
Islamabad, March 16: The stage is set for the noisy inaugural session of Pakistan's National Assembly or the lower house of parliament Monday with a shouting match expected between pro- and anti-Musharraf parliamentarians, particularly on the issue of taking oath under the amended constitution.
Three killed in Islamabad restaurant blast
Islamabad, March 15: At least three people were killed and around 10, mostly foreigners, were injured in a blast in an Italian restaurant in the Pakistani capital Saturday evening, witnesses and local TV channels reported.
Pakistani court quashes final case against Zardari
Islamabad, March 14: A Pakistani court Friday dismissed the last of seven corruption cases against Asif Ali Zardari, widower of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, opening the way for him to become the next prime minister, his lawyer said.
India no longer enemy number one: Pakistani leader
Colombo, March 14 (IANS): While blaming the US for the problems facing his country, a leading Pakistani politician has said here that the Islamic nation no longer considers India to be its enemy number one and reduction in hostility between the two nations has led to a "relaxed atmosphere" in the South Asian region.
Sharif's party pushing Zardari to be Pakistan PM
Islamabad, March 13 (IANS): Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) is pushing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Asif Ali Zardari to head the yet-to-be-formed coalition government, say political leaders.
US for 'hands-off' approach on government making in Pakistan
Washington, March 12: The US says it is looking forward to working with the new Pakistan government once it is formed, but it's completely up to political leaders there to work out new power sharing arrangements.
Pakistan protests to US coalition forces over civilian deaths
Islamabad, March 13 (DPA) Pakistan lodged a "strong protest" with the US-led coalition in Afghanistan after one of their artillery shells killed four people on the Pakistani side of a remote border region, an army spokesman said Thursday.
Pakistani security forces miss target, kill 11 civilians
Islamabad, March 12: Pakistan's security forces missed the militant hideout they were aiming at and killed 11 civilians in an artillery barrage that landed in a residential area in the restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, a media report said Wednesday.
Pakistani police detain 25 suspects in Lahore twin blasts
Islamabad, March 12: Pakistani authorities detained 25 people Wednesday for questioning about two suicide blasts that killed 32 people in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, but offered no clues as to who was responsible, officials and local media said.
Twin blasts in Lahore kill 28, injure 170
Islamabad, March 11: As many as 28 people were killed and 170 injured in twin suicide bombing attacks in eastern Pakistan Tuesday, the Pakistani Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Musharraf warns against presidency-parliament war
Islamabad, March 10: Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has warned that a war between the presidency and the newly elected parliament would be catastrophic for the country, Washington Times reported Monday.
Sharif, Zardari agree on coalition govt, ask Musharraf to convene parliament
Bhurban, March 9: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sunday decided to form a coalition government and asked President Pervez Musharraf to immediately convene the session of the national and provincial assemblies. They also agreed to restore the sacked judges of the superior courts.
Unending suicide attacks to pre-empt military offensive?
Karachi, March 10 (IANS): Reeling from one deadly suicide attack after another, each deadlier and more sophisticated than the previous, post-election Pakistan was supposed to have paved the way for a peaceful climate, with President Pervez Musharraf routed in the elections and the militant's political grievances addressed.
Musharraf discusses Zardari-Nawaz decision on judges
Islamabad, March 10: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Monday discussed with his legal aides options before him after two major parties, set to form the next government, resolved to restore judges sacked by him.
Court orders arrest of pro-Taliban commander in Bhutto's killing
Islamabad, May 10: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court issued an arrest warrant Monday for a pro-Taliban commander operating in the country's restive tribal areas, accusing him of masterminding the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, officials said.
Caretaker PM advices Musharraf to convene parliament
Islamabad, March 10: Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro Monday sent a communication to President Pervez Musharraf, advising him to convene the new parliament's session.
New parliament session within two weeks: Musharraf
Islamabad, March 7 (Xinhua) Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Friday the first session of the new National Assembly would be summoned within two weeks, at which a new prime minister will be elected.
Musharraf declares support for coalition government
Islamabad, March 7 (IANS): A day after the army chief announced support to the political process, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said Friday that he would support a coalition government and expected it to support the peace process.
Pakistan Army backs Musharraf, urges harmony among leaders
Islamabad, March 7 (DPA) The Pakistani Army has reiterated support for the embattled President Pervez Mushrraf despite his political allies' rout in last month's parliamentary election.
Pakistan Peoples Party delays decision to choose PM
Islamabad, March 6 (Xinhua) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Thursday delayed by a couple of days its decision to pick the country's new prime minister, a party leader said.
Suicide bomber at Pakistan Navy War College kills five
(Lead)
Islamabad, March 4 (DPA) At least five people were killed Tuesday when a suspected suicide bomber struck at the Pakistan Navy War College in the eastern city of Lahore, officials said.
Top Pakistan parties want Musharraf to seek confidence vote
Islamabad, March 5 (Xinhua) Pakistan's two largest winning parties in the recent general elections have agreed to move a resolution in the first parliament session asking President Pervez Musharraf to seek a vote of confidence, the News reported Wednesday.
Pakistan politicians warned of suicide attacks
Islamabad, March 1: The Pakistan government has warned of suicide attacks directed at politicians and officials, a newspaper reported. The National Crisis Management Cell of the interior ministry issued the warning as the security situation in Pakistan continues to deteriorate.
40 killed in Pakistan suicide bombing
Islamabad, March 1: At least 40 people have been killed and more than 50 wounded in a suicide bomb attack in northwest Pakistan during the funeral of a local police official, officials said.
Taliban leader charged for Bhutto's killing
Islamabad, March 1: Pakistani police Saturday formally charged the top Taliban leader in the country for planning the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a top official said.
Second suicide attack in NWFP kills two, injures 20
Islamabad, March 1: Two people were killed and 20 injured in a suicide attack at a security convoy in north-west Pakistan Saturday, as the police launched a probe into the bombing that left 42 people dead during a funeral Friday, officials said.
Pakistani court acquits Nawaz Sharif's brother
Islamabad, March 1: A Pakistani court Saturday acquitted the brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a fake shootout, clearing the way for him to contest a by-election, his lawyer said.
Gillani new frontrunner for Pakistan PM slot
Islamabad, March 1: Yousuf Raza Gillani, senior vice president of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has emerged as the frontrunner for the post of prime minister after it became clear the top slot will go to Punjab to avoid concentration of power in Sindh, the media reported Saturday.
Judges' restoration not under consideration: Musharraf
Islamabad, February 29: President Pervez Musharraf has emphasized that no suggestions for restoration of the judges were under consideration as the judges currently performing their responsibilities "are respectable".
Missile kills 13 suspected militants in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 28: Up to 13 people were believed killed Thursday in a pre-dawn missile strike on suspected Al Qaeda militants in northwest Pakistan, a local witness and media reports said.
Pakistan to close largest Afghan refugee camp
Islamabad, March 1: Pakistan plans to shut down its biggest camp of Afghan refugees by April 15 and the affected Afghans may have to look for alternate camps or return to Afghanistan, the UN refugee agency said Saturday.
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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