Following yesterday’s breaking news story that the coalition government reportedly agreed to “expel” Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf from office, media outlets today reported that the Pakistani military and the Presidency moved to quell these notions. Although The News reported that Musharraf met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Ashfaq Kayani at the Army House late Wednesday [PST], after [...]
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UPDATE [1240 EST]: The Associated Press cited statements by Farzana Raja, a spokesman for Asif Ali Zardari, who told the news agency that there was “no specific talk” of impeaching Musharraf in Tuesday’s discussions. The AP added, “She said her party wanted to avoid a confrontation with the presidency and was focused on a package [...]
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On Sunday, Pakistan’s acclaimed rock band, Junoon, performed in Srinigar, the summer capital of the Indian-administered region of Jammu & Kashmir, (J&K). The concert, organized by the NGO, the South Asia Foundation, was “also a part of celebrations held to mark the inauguration of the Kashmir Study Institute at Kashmir University,” reported BBC News. Junoon was the [...]
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Posted in Interviews, tagged Swat, Coalition, Taliban on May 26, 2008 | 5 Comments »
The Pakistani government’s peace negotiations with Taliban-linked militants has faced hesitation from U.S., British, and NATO officials, who fear a ceasefire will only allow these forces to regroup and increase attacks on foreign troops located across the border in Afghanistan. This sentiment was further exacerbated when Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Beitullah Mehsud told reporters Saturday that their [...]
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Posted in Op-Eds, tagged Taliban, Zardari on May 24, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Beitullah Mehsud, the head of the militant umbrella organization, Tehreek-e-Taliban, told a group of reporters on Saturday that their jihad would continue in Afghanistan, since “Islam does not recognize boundaries.” His announcement comes just days after Pakistani authorities and militants signed a peace agreement, [see previous post] in Swat. Although Mehsud emphasized his Taliban-linked militants [...]
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On Thursday, Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in an interview with the Press Trust of India, “launched a tirade” against President Pervez Musharraf, reported Pakistani news outlets. According to the Daily Times, Zardari called Musharraf “a relic of the past,” standing between the people of Pakistan and democracy “and there is tremendous pressure [...]
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Following weeks of negotations, [see most recent post on the talks], Pakistan’s coalition government signed a 15-point peace deal with “pro-Taliban” militants in Swat Valley on Wednesday. The announcement garnered media attention today, and the Associated Press deemed the development, “a breakthrough for a policy that Western officials worry could take the pressure off Taliban [...]
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On Wednesday, The News, quoting unidentified sources, reported that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf “has offered to resign in return for indemnity by parliament for his unconstitutional steps taken on November 3, 2007.” However, what exactly were these unconstitutional steps? According to The News, which cited “legal and constitutional experts,” there were three main steps taken [...]
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Last week, media coverage in Pakistan was dominated by political developments following the PML-N resignation from the federal cabinet. While news outlets were in-depth in their coverage, I was curious to read the reactions of President Pervez Musharraf to these developments. How would he react to the PML-N exit and the speculations surrounding the future [...]
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Posted in News Briefs, tagged Taliban on May 18, 2008 | 2 Comments »
On Saturday, Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan was freed unharmed after being held hostage for 96 days by suspected Taliban militants. According to the Associated Press, “Tariq Azizuddin disappeared Feb. 11 along with his driver and bodyguard as they drove from the Pakistani city of Peshawar toward the border. In a video aired April 19 on [...]
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