Pakistan – News Stories About Pakistan - Page 66

Dec 24, 2007 4:20 AM CST

US Billions in Pakistan Wasted

Money earmarked for war on terror diverted to shore up regime

(Newser) - Billions of dollars the US gave to Pakistan to bolster counterterrorism efforts against al-Qaeda apparently have been diverted to prop up President Pervez Musharraf's government and finance weapons systems aimed at India, reports the New York Times. Because the US has failed to properly monitor military aid programs, progress against...

Bloody Pakistan Mosque Blast

UPDATED

Dec 21, 2007 3:10 AM CST

Bloody Pakistan Mosque Blast

Suicide bomber kills dozens at prayer

(Newser) - A suicide bomber has killed at least 50 people praying in a mosque in northwestern Pakistan. The bomber blew himself up in the middle of a crowd saying Eid prayers. Former interior minister Aftab Sherpao is believed to have been the target, and reportedly survived the attack. An attempt on...

Deadly Pakistan Train Crash

Dec 19, 2007 4:10 AM CST

Deadly Pakistan Train Crash

Survivors trapped in wreckage

(Newser) - At least 41 people were killed early today when the Karachi Express derailed, and Pakistani rescue workers were scrambling to pull survivors from the twisted wreckage, CNN reports. Over 135 people were injured when 12 of the train's 17 cars overturned. Over a thousand people were on the train, many...

Sharif Loses Battle to Run in Pakistan Race

Dec 18, 2007 6:28 AM CST

Sharif Loses Battle to Run in Pakistan Race

Commission upholds ban on ex-PM in next month's election

(Newser) - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lost his appeal to contest his rejection from parliamentary elections in Pakistan, eliminating one of the main opposition leaders from next month's vote. The election commission upheld the decision to bar Sharif from running, although no details were provided. Sharif's Muslim League had...

UK Bomb Plot Suspect Escapes

UPDATED

Dec 17, 2007 8:57 AM CST

UK Bomb Plot Suspect Escapes

Botched extradition deep embarrassment to Musharraf government

(Newser) - The escape in Pakistan last night of a British terror suspect has set off a nationwide manhunt and further strained precarious diplomatic relations between Britain and Pakistan, reports AFP. Guards returning Rashid Rauf, 26, to jail from a court appearance allowed him to stop for burgers and prayers, where Rauf...

Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Recruits in Pakistan

Dec 17, 2007 8:49 AM CST

Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Recruits in Pakistan

Protesters continue to clash with police over detained judges

(Newser) - A suicide bomber killed 10 army recruits today near a Pakistani military school in the first major attack since Pervez Musharraf lifted emergency rule Saturday, saying that the government had “broken the back” of insurgents in the northwest. The school in Kohat was attacked regularly until Musharraf declared martial...

Constitutional Changes Spark New Battles in Pakistan

Dec 16, 2007 4:27 PM CST

Constitutional Changes Spark New Battles in Pakistan

Opponents vow to undo Musharraf's revisions

(Newser) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf just retired his army uniform, but he should prepare for a fight, the AP says, as Nawaz Sharif's opposition group plans to reverse constitutional revisions he made before lifting emergency rule yesterday. Musharraf imposed limits on the press, sealed the retirements of Supreme Court judges, and...

Musharraf Lifts Emergency Rule

Dec 15, 2007 7:01 AM CST

Musharraf Lifts Emergency Rule

Curbs remain on media, and some lawyers and judges still under house arrest

(Newser) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf today lifted the state of emergency he imposed in his nation, sending crowds into the street to celebrate the change and protest Musharraf's administration. Critics say media curbs and an altered judiciary, with some judges and lawyers under house arrest, will remain in place and that...

Musharraf Puts Nukes Under
His Control

Dec 14, 2007 2:33 PM CST

Musharraf Puts Nukes Under His Control

Arsenal's safety, January vote factor into president's move

(Newser) - Pervez Musharraf moved today to put Pakistan’s nuclear weapons under the control of the president rather than the prime minister, the BBC reports. The ordinance comes amid concern from abroad about the safety of Pakistan's arsenal—termed "foolproof" by the country's military—and with parliamentary elections set for...

Musharraf Set
to Restore Constitution*

Dec 13, 2007 7:09 AM CST

Musharraf Set to Restore Constitution*

*But he'll tweak it first to ensure he can't be prosecuted

(Newser) - Pervez Musharraf is set to lift Pakistan's state of emergency Saturday, but he's not going to take any guff for it—the president will only restore the constitution if it is first amended so he can't be tried for actions during the past 6 weeks of emergency rule. As lawyers...

Ex-Pakistan PM Tosses Hat Into Election Ring

Dec 9, 2007 6:00 PM CST

Ex-Pakistan PM Tosses Hat Into Election Ring

Musharraf welcomes rival, rejects US military action against al-Qaeda

(Newser) - Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif launched his party into next month's elections today, dropping a boycott threat after Benazir Bhutto and other hopefuls decided to run, the AP reports. “We cannot leave the field open,” a party spokesman said. Sharif's party was one of 33 in an opposition...

Rival Ex-PMs Team Up in Pakistan

Dec 4, 2007 6:08 AM CST

Rival Ex-PMs Team Up in Pakistan

Bhutto and Sharif to issue joint demands, may boycott together

(Newser) - Nawaz Sharif met with rival Benazir Bhutto yesterday for the first time since they both returned from exile and began hashing out demands for the government ahead of next month's vote. Representatives of the former PMs were to meet again today to draw up their objections and set a deadline...

Gates Surveys US War
in Afghanistan

Dec 3, 2007 8:26 PM CST

Gates Surveys US War in Afghanistan

'Not worried about a back slide' despite rise in attacks, he says

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates landed in Afghanistan today to size up areas where attacks have recently doubled and suicide bombings spiked 30%, Reuters reports. He was upbeat despite a Pentagon admission that al-Qaeda is helping Taliban forces to recover. "I'm not worried about a back slide as much as...

Sharif Barred From Pakistan Vote

Dec 3, 2007 3:25 PM CST

Sharif Barred From Pakistan Vote

Criminal convictions cited; ex-PM blames Musharraf's political maneuvering

(Newser) - Pakistani election officials today barred Nawaz Sharif from running in January elections, citing the ex-PM's criminal past. Sharif, who had pushed for an election boycott but registered anyway, dismissed the rejection, saying it would only strengthen his “vigor and resolve.” Sharif's record stems from trumped-up charges related to...

Pakistan Rivals Meet Tomorrow to Mull Boycott

Dec 2, 2007 9:43 AM CST

Pakistan Rivals Meet Tomorrow to Mull Boycott

Bhutto campaigns as Sharif tries to persuade her to sit out

(Newser) - Pakistan's opposition leaders will meet tomorrow to discuss a possible alliance to topple Pervez Musharraf, the Times of London reports. Nawaz Sharif will visit Benazir Bhutto at her home, accompanied by Imran Khan and other opposition figures, in an attempt to persuade her to boycott January's parliamentary elections. Bhutto, who...

Bhutto Launches Her Campaign

Dec 1, 2007 1:05 PM CST

Bhutto Launches Her Campaign

She will meet Sharif Monday to discuss possible boycott

(Newser) - Benazir Bhutto set aside the possibility of boycotting next month's elections for the time being and launched her campaign in hostile territory today, the AP reports. She traveled to northwest Pakistan, a stronghold of hardline Islamic factions that oppose female political involvement. Bhutto plans to meet fellow opposition leader Nawaz...

Bhutto to Enter Election, Sharif to Boycott

Nov 30, 2007 8:00 AM CST

Bhutto to Enter Election, Sharif to Boycott

Split opposition in Pakistan strengthens Musharraf's hand

(Newser) - Pakistan's opposition is split on participating in January's parliamentary elections following Pervez Musharraf's promise to lift emergency rule. Benazir Bhutto's party has said that, despite heavy reservations, it will take part. But Nawaz Sharif told Reuters that he and his party will boycott unless the judges Musharraf purged are reinstated.

New Pakistani Army Chief Is Nobody’s Pawn

Nov 29, 2007 12:43 PM CST

New Pakistani Army Chief Is Nobody’s Pawn

Musharraf chose Kayani for loyalty, but general wants politics out

(Newser) - President Pervez Musharraf chose his successor as army chief for his loyalty, but observers say Ashfaq Kayani wants to excise politics from Pakistan's military and focus on security challenges, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Though military secretary under Musharraf rival Benazir Bhutto, Kayani is seen by one retired honcho as...

Musharraf Quits as Army Chief

Nov 28, 2007 2:01 AM CST

Musharraf Quits as Army Chief

'Relationship will continue,' he vows, 'though I will not be in uniform'

(Newser) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf stepped down today as chief of his nation's military in a bid to ease the tensions gripping the country. He will be installed as civilian president for a five-year term tomorrow. His resignation officially marks the end of military rule, though the country remains in a...

US Sweats Sharif's Return

Nov 27, 2007 2:36 PM CST

US Sweats Sharif's Return

Former PM seen as allied with Islamists, soft on terror

(Newser) - Even as Nawaz Sharif paints his return to Pakistan as a watershed moment, Washington is fretting over the implications of the Islamist-linked ex-PM's resurgence. Sharif has a reputation for being hostile to women’s rights and slow on social and economic expansion, the Wall Street Journal reports, but the US...