Pakistan Citizen News

2008-01-04T12:47:00.000+05:00

He's carrying the torch of opposition in Pakistan

After Bhutto's slaying, Nawaz Sharif casts himself as the one to lead the charge against archenemy Musharraf. But the former premier faces an uphill fight -- at home and in Washington.

As this country's political opposition looks for a leader after last week's assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif may be the last man standing.And his eyes are fixed upon a single goal: to get rid of his archenemy, the man who kicked him out of office in a military coup more than eight years ago, President Pervez Musharraf.

2008-01-04T12:41:00.000+05:00

Journalists arrested in Pakistan following Bhutto Assassination

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns the arrests of journalists in Pakistan following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on December 27.The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, said that 10 journalists in Sindh province who were reporting on events related to Ms Bhutto’s death have been arrested under anti-terrorism and riot laws.

2008-01-04T12:31:00.000+05:00

Pakistan president firmly denies conspiracy

Pervez Musharraf wants Scotland Yard to investigate Benazir Bhutto's assassination.

President Pervez Musharraf vehemently denied Thursday that Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies were behind Benazir Bhutto's killing and implied she was partly at fault.
Despite threats by militants, Bhutto poked her head out of the sunroof of her vehicle to greet supporters at an election rally, Musharraf said.

2008-01-04T12:25:00.000+05:00

British antiterror team arrives in Pakistan to join Bhutto probe

British antiterror officers joined the investigation into Benazir Bhutto's assassination Friday, a day after Pakistan's U.S-allied president dismissed allegations his government may have had a hand in the slaying.
"The same military and intelligence agencies are using the same people who are attacking them? It's a joke," President Pervez Musharraf said at a media conference late Thursday.

2008-01-04T12:20:00.000+05:00

Musharraf denies government involvement in Bhutto killing

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Thursday said there was no government involvement in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto but admitted he was unsatisfied with the probe into her death.
For the first time since Bhutto was killed in a gun and suicide attack that his government blamed on Al-Qaeda, he acknowledged reports that the crime scene had been quickly hosed down, possibly destroying evidence, after her murder.

2008-01-04T12:17:00.000+05:00

U.S. has no good option in Pakistan

The assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto killed the Bush administration's last hope that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf could simultaneously defeat al-Qaida and the Taliban and return his country to democratic rule.

2007-12-27T10:30:00.000+05:00

Terror ‘Destroying’ Afghanistan, Pakistan

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met Afghan leader Hamid Karzai here yesterday for talks to cope with the threat of extremism and terrorism, which he said was “destroying both our countries.”

2007-12-27T10:28:00.000+05:00

Bhutto takes campaign to Pakistan's militant heartland

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto took her election campaign Wednesday to the heartland of Pakistan's militants, whose wave of violence has threatened to destabilise the nuclear-armed nation.

2007-12-26T11:52:00.000+05:00

Bhutto vows to target extremists in Pakistan

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto yesterday accused President Pervez Musharraf of failing to stop the spread of Islamic militants and promised to crack down on them if she wins next month’s parliamentary election.

2007-12-19T15:29:00.000+05:00

Picture of Secret Detentions Emerges in Pakistan

Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies, apparently trying to avoid acknowledging an elaborate secret detention system, have quietly set free nearly 100 men suspected of links to terrorism, few of whom were charged, human rights groups and lawyers here say. Those released, they say, are some of the nearly 500 Pakistanis presumed to have disappeared into the hands of the Pakistani intelligence agencies cooperating with Washington’s fight against terrorism since 2001.

2007-12-19T14:31:00.000+05:00

In Pakistan vote, Musharraf ally battles foes, apathy

If one Pakistan ruling party rally with awkward speeches, empty audience chairs and distracted crowds in a dustbowl is anything to go by, President Pervez Musharraf's days in power may be numbered.
Tuesday night's rally in a poor, smoggy Lahore neighborhood was for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a quietly spoken man running as Musharraf's de facto prime ministerial candidate in January 8 elections and a possible political kingmaker.

2007-12-19T13:35:00.000+05:00

Sharif Barred From Pakistan Election

Pakistan's Election Commission said Tuesday that opposition leader Nawaz Sharif cannot run in parliamentary elections next month, eliminating the former prime minister's chances of returning to office.
The decision leaves Sharif with no further avenue for appeal and denies him a platform in parliament to continue his campaign against his archrival, President Pervez Musharraf, who ousted him in a 1999 coup.

2007-12-19T10:29:00.000+05:00

Secret Pakistan detention system revealed

Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies, apparently trying to avoid acknowledging an elaborate secret detention system, have quietly set free nearly 100 men suspected of links to terrorism, few of whom were charged, human rights groups and lawyers here say.
Those released, they say, are some of the nearly 500 Pakistanis presumed to have disappeared into the hands of the Pakistani intelligence agencies cooperating with Washington’s fight against terrorism since 2001.

2007-12-19T10:27:00.000+05:00

Train derails in Pakistan, killing dozens

An express train crowded with holiday travelers derailed in southern Pakistan early Wednesday, killing at least 50 people and injuring many more, officials said.
The overnight train was going from Karachi to Lahore when about 12 of its 16 cars came off the rails near Mehrabpur, about 250 miles north of Karachi, the officials said.

2007-12-18T11:00:00.000+05:00

Biden warns Musharraf on Pakistan elections

Presidential hopeful Joe Biden yesterday told Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf there will be consequences if his elections are in any way shoddy.
Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he spoke with the embattled president by phone. Biden said U.S. aid to that country may be in doubt if the upcoming elections don't meet expectations.
"I want to make it clear, for the United States of America to be willing to support Pakistan the way we have in the past, it rests on this transition to democracy being real. If this election is not fair and open, there will be consequences for it, in terms of our participating in aid," Biden said he told Musharraf.

2007-12-18T10:55:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's financial sector rises to $114.6b

The overall size of Pakistan's financial sector has increased by almost Rs900 billion, 32 per cent growth over December 2005, to reach Rs6.9 trillion ($114.6 billion) up to June, 2007.
Banks, with a share of 72 per cent in total assets, continue to dominate the asset base of the financial sector, the central bank said.
Launching a new annual publication, Financial Stability Review 2006 (FSR), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said the financial sector is predominantly led by the private sector, constituting of both domestic and foreign financial institutions, controlling 64.9 per cent of overall assets.

2007-12-18T10:53:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's Bhutto slams Musharraf for rise of extremism

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, in an interview published here Monday, accused President Pervez Musharraf of presiding over a resurgence of extremism and for mismanaging a demoralised military. "He's got to answer this because as far as I'm concerned some of the people around him have sympathy for the militants," she said in an interview published in the Washington Post and Newsweek.

2007-12-18T10:48:00.000+05:00

Pakistan Seeks End to Commonwealth Ban After Emergency Lifted

Pakistan appealed to the Commonwealth to lift its suspension from the 53-nation group after President Pervez Musharraf met demands to step down as army chief and lift the state of emergency declared in November.
Information Minister Nisar A. Memon called on the group to restore Pakistan's membership as a goodwill gesture and send observers to monitor next month's elections, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

2007-12-17T16:01:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's emergency not yet over

President Pervez Musharraf's lifting of emergency rule over Pakistan and restoration of the constitution is insufficient to put the country on the path to democracy, say civil-rights activists. For one thing, there is the unprecedented situation created by most of the country's higher judiciary refusing to take an oath under Musharraf's Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) of November 3 that imposed the state of emergency. Anti-press laws and restrictions on the electronic media remain. And last, but not least, is Musharraf himself, elected as president for the next five years while still in army uniform, by an outgoing assembly.

2007-12-17T15:57:00.000+05:00

Suicide blast kills 9 troops in Pakistan

A suicide bomber blew himself up among a group of Pakistani army recruits returning from a soccer game in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing nine of them, the army said.
The attacker struck near an army communications center in Kohat, about 30 miles from the city of Peshawar. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said nine troops were killed and four were wounded.

2007-12-12T11:50:00.000+05:00

PEMRA Threatens Ban on Live Election Coverage in Pakistan

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns a threat by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to ban live television reports about Pakistan’s national elections and to impose penalties on journalists if they do not comply.

2007-12-06T15:53:00.000+05:00

Pakistan police block Sharif march

Police put up barricades to block former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and hundreds of supporters as they tried to march Thursday to the heavily guarded home of Pakistan's deposed chief justice.
The protesters were nearly outnumbered by riot police, who blocked the route to Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry's official residence with concrete blocks, steel and barbed wire.

2007-12-06T15:51:00.000+05:00

Pakistan: Police crackdown on lawyers ahead of Thursday's protest march

Police launched a crackdown on lawyers late on Wednesday and rounded up several of them in a bid to pre-empt a march towards the barricaded residence of ousted Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Thursday, officials said.

2007-12-04T11:27:00.000+05:00

Sharif disqualified to contest general elections

The election officials in eastern Pakistan's Lahore city on Monday disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stand in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the News Network International news agency reported.
The election officials rejected the nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif on the grounds that Sharif was convicted in corruption cases in 2000 and that a convict person can not stand in the elections.

2007-12-04T11:25:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's opposition parties to submit charter of demands

Pakistan's opposition parties' leaders decided to prepare a Charter of Demands to be submitted to the government for acceptance to ensure free and fair elections in the country, local newspaper The Nation reported on Tuesday.
Chairperson of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Muhammad Nawaz Sharif held a meeting here late Monday night.

2007-12-03T16:12:00.000+05:00

Sharif Seeks Bhutto's Support for Election Boycott

Pakistani opposition leader Nawaz Sharif will meet Benazir Bhutto today to try to persuade her to join a boycott of general elections in January to protest President Pervez Musharraf's state of emergency restrictions.

2007-12-03T16:06:00.001+05:00

Sharif's lawyer fears exclusion from Pakistan vote

An election official is likely to disqualify former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif from running in a January election, his lawyer predicted on Monday.
The disqualification would be based on criminal convictions secured against Sharif in the wake of his ousting by the military in 1999. The two-time ex-premier says the cases were politically motivated.

2007-11-30T13:10:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's Geo News resumes transmission from Dubai

Geo News, Pakistan private television network Geo TV's news channel, has resumed broadcast, two weeks after it was blacked out following an order from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities.

2007-11-30T12:23:00.000+05:00

Pakistan leader to end state of emergency Dec. 16

Hours after being sworn in for a new term as president, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said he hopes to end the country's state of emergency Dec. 16, a move that could resolve most complaints from his Western backers before parliamentary elections in early January.

2007-11-29T16:41:00.000+05:00

Pakistan Opposition Dismisses Musharraf's New Term -AFP

The parties of Pakistani opposition leaders Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif dismissed Pervez Musharraf's swearing in as a civilian president Thursday as too little, too late.

2007-11-29T14:10:00.000+05:00

Musharraf Says Boycott Threat Won't Derail Elections

President Pervez Musharraf, who quit yesterday as Pakistan's army chief, said parliamentary elections will take place on Jan. 8 and dismissed opposition threats to boycott voting unless he steps down and restores the constitution.

2007-11-29T13:58:00.000+05:00

Musharraf Sworn in As President

Pervez Musharraf embarked on a new, five-year term as a civilian president Thursday, a day after ceding the powerful post of army chief — the basis of his rule for the past eight years.
"Congratulations, Mr. President," Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar said after a solemn-looking Musharraf had taken his oath.

2007-11-28T13:32:00.000+05:00

Musharraf Retires As Army Chief

Pervez Musharraf stepped down Wednesday from his powerful post as Pakistan's military commander, a day before he was to be sworn in as a civilian president in a long-delayed pledge not to hold both jobs.

During a change of command, Musharraf relinquished his post by handing over his ceremonial baton to his hand-picked successor, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani.

2007-11-27T16:41:00.000+05:00

What Sharif's Return Means to Pakistan

The return of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif adds a new twist to the political chess game that has dragged on for the past few months in Pakistan. Sharif, who was ousted by current President General Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless 1999 coup and who left Pakistan for exile after being found guilty of corruption, arrived in Lahore Sunday and was greeted by hundreds of chanting supporters. Government officials said he had been allowed back into the country after reaching an "understanding" with Musharraf.

Mission is Tough for Nawaz Sharif

2007-11-26T16:56:00.000+05:00

Also published at The Pakistani Spectator

Pakistanis want their, whatever and whoever politicians back in the country. They want the continuation of the political process, and they simply want armed forces out of the corridors of national politics, and they also want the hardliners top creating little states within the states. It would be the quest for the preservation of the identity, which would lead to the election of Nawaz Sharif.

Nawaz Sharif’s recent homecoming is one of those fresh blow of which nation was waiting. Many people, especially in the Punjab and NWFP provinces think that Nawaz Sharif is the best hope for Pakistan. The country, he has returned to, however is not the country he once ruled. Pakistan is altogether more violent than ever. Militants and self-proclaimed state holders are waging little yet bloody wars against their own people in Swat and North Waziristan.

Nawaz Sharif can count on the unqualified support of his supporters throughout the country, and he can enjoy the most popular vote, and his rating are also sky high, but he has got a tough road ahead. For Nawaz Sharif there are many challenges both at national and international levels. For him, balancing the demands of his country with those of other nations depending on him to solve the scourge of terrorism will be his biggest challenge yet.Nawaz Sharif has done well to remain straight forward.

He has made his point and line of action clear. According to him he doesn’t want to confront or avenge anybody and he doesn’t want to start the politics of intrigue. He has also made plain that he hasn’t really come for the Kursi like his counterpart in the PPP, and he has come to ease the gruesome burdens of the nation. His tone is suggesting that he has learned to let the bygones be bygones.There are many gaping challenges for this man, who right now enjoys the highest ratings and how once became the hero of the nation by banging the nuke tests. Nation right now wants him to develop a national consensus in all the nooks of the country, and that means hell lot.

2007-11-23T17:20:00.000+05:00

PPP candidates to file papers

Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto said on Thursday her party would file nomination papers under protest and expose what she termed the government’s plan to rig the elections.“We are submitting nomination papers under protest as we don’t want to give a walkover to our opponents,” she told reporters after meeting Nawab Khair Bux Marri on who she had called to offer condolences over the killing of his son Balach Marri.The PPP chairperson, however, did not rule out the possibility of still deciding to boycott the polls.According to observers the green signal given by Ms Bhutto to her party to file nomination papers will further fracture the unstable and ineffective opposition because almost all parties and the PPP chairperson herself had been declaring that there could not be free and fair elections under Gen Musharraf and without an independent judiciary and free media.According to sources, there is a lot of unease among some key members of the party who believe that PPP’s participation in the elections would provide legitimacy to the Musharraf regime and damage the party’s credibility.

2007-11-23T14:32:00.000+05:00

Nawaz preparing for another comeback

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is quite hopeful that former exiled prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan by the end of this month and will lead his party in the upcoming general elections, said PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal.

Pakistan's Top Court Dismisses Last Petition Against Musharraf

2007-11-22T13:55:00.000+05:00

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday dismissed the last petition against President Pervez Musharraf's reelection, paving the way for him to become a civilian leader.

The Supreme Court, stuffed with judges loyal to Musharraf, took just under an hour to dismiss the case, and the Pakistani General is expected within days to doff his army uniform and swear a new oath of office as a civilian for another five years.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed five of the six petitions challenging Musharraf's qualification to contest the presidential elections while in uniform, leaving only one to be heard on Thursday.

Imran Khan freed from prison

2007-11-21T22:36:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's opposition politician and former cricketer, Imran Khan has been released from a prison in the Pakistani province of Punjab on Wednesday. Pakistan's interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah told Adnkronos International (AKI) that Khan has been released from the Dera Ismail Khan prison in the south of Punjab province.

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Thousands flee NW Pakistan valley ahead of offensive

2007-11-20T12:48:00.000+05:00

MINGORA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Thousands of people are fleeing a valley in north-western Pakistan after security forces warned them to leave ahead of a major operation against pro-Taliban militants, witnesses and officials said on Tuesday.

Helicopter gunships and artillery fire killed about 18 militants on Monday, the military said, as troops intensified efforts to drive rebel fighters out of the scenic Swat valley where they are trying to impose a strict Islamic code.

The army said on Saturday 15,000 troops would soon launch an offensive to clear militants led by pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah from the valley in North West Frontier Province, where more than 250 people have been killed in clashes in recent weeks.

Militants abduct 7 troops and a government official in northwestern Pakistan

Pakistan Ex-PM Sharif: Musharraf Tried To Arrange Meeting

2007-11-20T12:46:00.000+05:00

Former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif told AFP Monday that President Pervez Musharraf contacted him three times recently, but he said he would not meet the military ruler when he comes to Saudi Arabia.

Sharif spoke from exile in Jeddah a day before Musharraf was due to visit Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah on his first foreign trip since declaring a state of emergency in Pakistan on Nov. 3.

"Thrice he tried to contact me...in the past two months, saying that he wants to come here in Jeddah. I regretted it, I said no, it will not serve any purpose," Sharif told AFP by telephone.

Nasdaq

Bhutto's backflip as poll is called

2007-11-20T12:43:00.000+05:00

PAKISTANI President Pervez Musharraf yesterday nailed down January 8 for elections while opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, in yet another political backflip, appeared to lay the groundwork for resuming power-sharing negotiations with the military ruler.

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Imran Khan begins hunger strike in Jail

2007-11-20T12:23:00.000+05:00

Chief of Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan has started hunger strike till death in the jail, party sources said.

According to Tehrik-e-Insaf sources party chief Imran Khan has started hunger strike till death in Dera Ghazi Khan prison for restoration of the constitution.

Imran Khan has said he would continue hunger strike till the achievement of his demands - which among others - include restoration of democracy in the country.

Imran's son tells Musharraf: 'Let my dad go'

Pakistani Supreme Court clears Musharraf's continued rule; date set for elections

2007-11-20T12:00:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's reconstituted Supreme Court on Monday dismissed legal challenges to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's continued rule, a senior official said.

The decision raises the prospect of Musharraf quickly resigning as chief of the armed forces and beginning a new presidential term as a civilian - a central demand of opposition parties and the United States.

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GEO and ARY News Shut Down Globally

2007-11-17T01:33:00.000+05:00

Under extreme pressure from Musharraf government, Geo News has been shut down late Friday night. Now, the telecast of Geo News would not be viewed even through dish antenna. It was told from the authorities of the country where the Geo News is being aired that the news channel would be off air across the globe.

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Punjab govt. ends house arrest of Benazir Bhutto

2007-11-16T12:57:00.000+05:00

Authorities have lifted the house arrest imposed on opposition leader Benazir Bhutto after three days of her detention.

Government of Punjab withdrew a seven-day detention order of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto early Friday, who was detained at the residence of Peoples Party leader Latif Khosa in Defence area of Lahore for last three days.

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Soomro takes oath as caretaker Prime Minister

2007-11-16T12:55:00.000+05:00

President Pervez Musharraf swore in caretaker Premier Mohammedmian Soomro and his cabinet at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday.

The members of caretaker cabinet are Nisar Memon, Barrister Habibur Rehman, Sikandar Jogazai, Dr. Salman Shah, Ansar Burni, Dr. Shams Lakha, Wajid H Bukhari, Prince Essa Jan, Salim Abbas Jilani, Khawaja Ataullah, Barrister Muhammad Ali, Lala Nisar Muhammad Khan, Salman Taseer, Barrister Shahida Jameel, Shahzada Alam Munno, Syed Afzal Hyder, Raja Tridev Rai, Nisar Ghumman, Inamul Haq, Abdullah Ryar, Abbas Sarfaraz, Ehsanullah Khan and Dr.Fahim Ansari.

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Largest Protest so far

2007-11-16T00:31:00.000+05:00

Punjab University students protest against IJT's handover of Imran Khan to the police.

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

2007-11-15T23:43:00.000+05:00

The Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) has been amended on Thursday under which the Chief of Army Staff gave authority to the president of Pakistan to lift the emergency.

Shah Mehmood and Abida among hundreds arrested

2007-11-15T23:35:00.000+05:00

Hundreds of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) activists, including Punjab President Shah Mehmood Qureshi and former member of the National Assembly (MNA) Syeda Abida Hussain, were arrested on Wednesday.

Shah Mehmood was arrested when he reached Faisalabad from Okara with the PPP’s long-march rally, Online reported. Abida Hussain was arrested in the evening from her residence after she had led a demonstration in Jhang. Also, riots in Karachi continued on the second day of PPP Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto’s house arrest.

Imran thrown into Lahore jail

2007-11-15T23:33:00.000+05:00

FORMER Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan was facing the prospect of a long prison term last night after being shifted from police custody to one of the country's most notorious jails.

Mr Khan, 55, leader of the small Tehrik-in-Insaaf (Justice) party and an outspoken critic of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, was taken under heavy guard to the Kot Lakhpat jail on the outskirts of Lahore.

Pakistani students take to Web as well as streets demanding end to Musharraf's emergency rule

2007-11-15T23:10:00.000+05:00

Angry over emergency rule, Pakistani students are starting to demonstrate against their military ruler. And they are using the Web as well as the street to make their point.

Samad Khurram said updating his online newsletter, the Emergency Telegraph, has practically become a full-time job. Offering advice on everything from avoiding arrest to staging ''flash'' rallies and organizing petitions, it is e-mailed to some 6,000 people.

With independent TV news off the air, the Emergency Telegraph also provides links to Web sites with streaming video, as well as media contacts, inspirational references to figures like Che Guevara and messages from detained human rights activists and judges.

Imran Khan kept in Solitary Confinement

2007-11-15T17:47:00.000+05:00

Sky sources have revealed that Imran Khan is being held in solitary confinement and that his three sisters are being held for taking part in a demonstration at Punjab university in Lahore.

Musharraf jails last opponent
A Top Rival in Pakistan Is Carted Off by the Police
Hundreds of PPP workers arrested as Benazir meets with US envoy

Hugh Grant to head "Free Imran " delegation to Pakistan

2007-11-15T17:46:00.000+05:00

His ex-wife Jemima Khan immediately rallied his supporters for a "Free Imran" march. The protest marchers included members from a large cross-section of London society.

"We didn't really have much to do anyway", said Molly McBeadle, choir leader of the Whinging Grannies. "Besides we love a good march". The procession, which began at a small kabab shop in Finsbury Park wound its way through North London (stopping for a couple of pints at Crouch End pubs) before the big sit-down at No. 10 Downing St.

Anxious to show the world that he was a man of action Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for an emergency sitting of the cabinet. Following a terse exchange with the media a spokesperson for the PM revealed that actor Hugh Grant (Jemima's most recent main squeeze) and lovable rogue will head a British delegation to Pakistan to free Imran.

Children shot amid Pakistan protest

2007-11-15T17:44:00.000+05:00

Two boys were killed in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Thursday when gunfire erupted during a protest by supporters of former premier Benazir Bhutto, police said.

"There was a demonstration against the house arrest of Benazir Bhutto. Somebody among the demonstrators opened fire and two boys aged around 11 or 12 were killed," police official Fayyaz Khan told AFP.

The protest deaths were the first since President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency on November 3. Bhutto has been under house arrest since Tuesday in the eastern city of Lahore.

Khan said there had been gunfire for the past three days during rallies by Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the slum neighbourhood of Lyari, a party stronghold.

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BB says... nope... nothing doing

2007-11-15T17:16:00.000+05:00

BB says nothing doing. She's been saying it on TV that Musharraf is just not acceptable to her anymore. She says she can't trust him, and that he keeps changing the goalpost. I guess the deal is over. But then what will be the fate of the National Reconciliation Ordinance?

News blackout relaxed

2007-11-15T11:37:00.000+05:00

As of this morning, Dawn News, Aaj, BBC, and CNN are back on air. Geo and ARY continue to be off the cable network.

Khaleej Times

Imran Khan Beaten Up and Arrested

2007-11-14T17:34:00.000+05:00

Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan was arrested by police Wednesday after he emerged from hiding to join a student rally against President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule, police said.

Appearing in public for the first time since slipping out from house arrest, Khan was grabbed by Islamist students when he tried to take part in the demonstration at a university campus in the eastern city of Lahore.

He was lifted onto the shoulders of demonstrators amid chaotic scenes and then pushed inside a building by a crowd, before being bundled into an unmarked white van. He was later handed over to police.

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Pakistan Police Confirm Imran Khan Being Held In Custody-AFP

2007-11-14T13:53:00.000+05:00

Former Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan is in police custody after emerging from hiding to join a rally against emergency rule, police said Wednesday.

"He is in police custody. There was a detention order against him, and they have been served on him," Khalid Batti, a senior Lahore police officer, told AFP.

Nasdaq
Pakistan police seize Khan at rally

Pakistan Police Detain Opposition Leader Imran Khan

2007-11-14T13:17:00.000+05:00

Pakistan opposition politician Imran Khan has reportedly been detained by police after appearing at a rally in Lahore.

He had been in hiding for days after escaping from house arrest following President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency more than a week ago.

Some 200 students cheered wildly and lifted Mr Khan into the air when he appeared on a university campus in the eastern city of Lahore.

Seconds later, plainclothes security men grabbed him and hustled him into a nearby building.
Talath Naqvi, a spokeswoman for a local branch of Mr Khan's party, said he was being held by police.

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I will not serve as PM under Musharraf, says Bhutto

2007-11-13T18:08:00.000+05:00

THE detained Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto called yesterday for the military leader Pervez Musharraf to step down as president, isolating him before a general election.

Video

Time to go, says BB

E-Resistance Blooms in Pakistan

2007-11-13T17:49:00.000+05:00

With the media muzzled, citizens are blogging and using sites like Facebook to spread news and organize "flash" protests against Musharraf's emergency rule.

On Nov. 7 at 2 p.m., about 1,000 students of the Lahore University of Management Sciences gathered to protest the imposition of virtual martial law by President Pervez Musharraf. The students, mostly children of Pakistan's intelligentsia and middle classes, were horrified to hear that police had broken into a peaceful meeting inside the premises of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and dragged away over 70 of Lahore's best minds, including lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jehangir, and locked them in jail or put them under house arrest. The students decided to participate in the protests.

That's when the blogging began. On Nov. 5, the Emergency Times (and an attendant Wikipedia article) appeared. It declared itself "an independent Pakistani student initiative against injustice and oppression," which gave readers a regular update and comments on the emergency, and student activities against it across Pakistan.

Facebook users joined in. Under Event Info, the Students Protest for a Free Pakistan put out the word to students of Islamabad's Hamdard University to gather outside the college, in support of other protesting students at LUMS, as well as Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad and Punjab University in Lahore, all simultaneously at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Some Facebook Groups against Emergency Rule:

We Oppose Emergency in Pakistan

Oppose Emergency Rule in Pakistan

Society for the Objection to Emergency Rule in Pakistan

I Think a Turnip would make a better Head of State than Musharraf

Mush picks caretaker PM

2007-11-13T17:35:00.000+05:00

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has picked Irshad Ullah Khan, a businessman owning several gemstone mines, to head a caretaker government from November 15 till the formation of the new government after the election, a senior official said yesterday.

“Irshad Ullah Khan will be taking oath of office of caretaker prime minister on Thursday,” the official, who did not wish to be identified said.

Khan is chairman of Middle East Finance Trading Pakistan Private Limited, a pioneer of solar and wind energy systems in the country.

10 potential candidates in the slot for caretaker PM

Voice of a Nation

2007-11-13T17:25:00.000+05:00

Military and Security

2007-11-13T17:10:00.000+05:00

Pakistani security forces Monday seized a top militant accused of harboring Al-Qaeda insurgents, beheading troops and supplying arms to a rebel cleric in the country's northwest, officials said.

The man was captured in the northwestern Swat Valley, a former tourist spot where Pakistani troops are battling pro-Taliban Islamists seeking to impose harsh Sharia law, security officials said.

Chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad confirmed to AFP that security forces had arrested a "top suspect involved in militancy."

Pakistan Army Says It's Captured Top Militant
Pakistan army kills four Islamic militants in north-west valley
Musharraf's Army Losing Ground in Insurgent Areas
Grenade explosions in Pakistan wounds three
Bomb kills 1 at Internet cafe in northwestern Pakistan

Violence ensues

2007-11-13T16:53:00.000+05:00

Gunmen opened fire on two police stations in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Tuesday as supporters of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto were protesting against her house arrest, but no one was hurt, police said.

"About 35 to 40 armed men fired ... while the PPP workers were holding a protest rally," said senior police official Fayyaz Khan, referring to Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.
The attacks occured in the PPP-dominated Lyari neighbourhood but it had not been confirmed the gunmen were party supporters, he said.

Arrests in Pakistan after Bhutto's detention
Pakistan Police Fire Tear Gas At Protesters In Peshawar
Unrest at Home

Benazir arrested for 7 days

2007-11-13T04:36:00.000+05:00

Government of Punjab has issued a seven day detention order for Benazir Bhutto. Prison staff has been placed at the gates of the house where she's staying in Lahore.

She was planning to start a "long march" today from Lahore, despite stern warnings from the government.

Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azeem had earlier said that "Long marches, rallies and political meetings are banned in Punjab province. This is for her security". He had told AFP that "She will not be allowed to break the law so there will be no long march".

...

Commonwealth gives Pakistan November 22 deadline

2007-11-13T01:04:00.000+05:00

Pakistan will be suspended from the Commonwealth nations after November 22 if President Pervez Musharraf does not restore the constitution, reinstate the independence of the judiciary, hold elections and step down as army chief of staff.

The dateline was decided at a meeting of the nine-member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) in London Monday.

'The message to Pakistan is clear,' said Michael Frendo, the Foreign Minister of Malta, who chaired the five-hour meeting.

General Musharraf had been given a clear deadline, he added.

Bhutto urges all Pakistanis to join Musharraf protest

2007-11-13T00:58:00.000+05:00

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Monday urged Pakistanis of all shades to join a motorcade protest against President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule and vowed it would go ahead even if police try to block her.

"I know it is dangerous," Bhutto said, "But I ask myself, what is the alternative and how can we save our country? ... We appeal to all people, including from other parties and minorities, women and children, to take part in this long march,"

Bhutto said on Sunday she had not closed the door to negotiations with Musharraf but on Monday ruled out talks. The United States hopes the pair - who both stress fighting militancy - might share power after elections.

"If there's an emergency, if the constitution is not restored, there cannot be talks," she said. "We are saying 'no' to any more talks." Asked if that meant no more talks ever, a party official said there would be none "for the moment".

Musharraf government bars Bhutto procession, setting up showdown between two Pakistani leaders

US has secret plans to safeguard Pakistan's nukes

2007-11-13T00:55:00.000+05:00

US, The United States has secret contingency plans to safeguard Pakistani nuclear weapons if they risk falling into the wrong hands, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

But US officials worry their limited knowledge about the location of the arsenal could pose a problem, it said, a week after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency.

"We can't say with absolute certainty that we know where they all are," one unidentified former US official told the newspaper, adding that any US effort to secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal "could be very messy."

Pak SC issues notice to Musharraf on Emergency

2007-11-13T00:40:00.000+05:00

Pakistan Supreme Court has issued a notice to President Pervez Musharraf on imposition of emergency, a private TV channel reported on Monday.

The court is also expected to resume a hearing into challenges to President Pervez Musharraf's controversial election victory this week and could reach a decision by the weekend, a newspaper has reported.

British paper referred to Musharraf as 'sonofabitch'

2007-11-13T00:37:00.000+05:00

Three journalists with Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper were reportedly ordered to leave Pakistan Saturday, a day after the newspaper referred to President Pervez Musharraf as a "sonofabitch".

A November 9 editorial in the Daily Telegraph titled "Bankrupt Relationship" referred to Musharraf as “sonofabitch”.

"In the old parlance, General Pervez Musharraf is "our sonofabitch.” He has failed to stamp out extremist groups and close the madrassas that inspire them. He has allowed the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall into the hands of assorted jihadis.

The paper added: "An alternative... seems neither imminent nor especially enticing. But that should not blind Britain and America to the fact that their "sonofabitch" in Pakistan is a spent force."

Military, Porn, Blackmail and the Judges

2007-11-13T00:33:00.000+05:00

SOME of Pakistan’s Supreme Court judges and their children were secretly filmed in compromising positions with lovers and prostitutes as part of a dirty tricks campaign by the country’s feared military intelligence. Videos were sent out to at least three of the 11 judges in September as they were deciding whether General Pervez Musharraf was eligible to run for president while still army chief.

The Sunday Times
The Australian

Protests Protests Protests

2007-11-13T00:28:00.000+05:00

Pakistani Flash Mobs Protest State of Emergency

Pakistani students awaken, take role in growing protests

Virtual Protests in Pakistan

Pakistan's Opposition Rallies

Pakistan Bars Planned Protest by Bhutto

Crowds in protest at Pakistan regime

BB says Rally Away

2007-11-12T22:32:00.000+05:00

Senator Safdar Abbasi, a senior Pakistan People's Party official has said that Benazir Bhutto's rally will start from Lahore tomorrow, as planned, despite warnings of crack down by the government.

Lahore's police chief has already warned of a possible attack against Bhutto.

Yesterday Benazir Bhutto told the press that "We are saying no to any more talks. It is a change from my past policy". She also said that "We cannot work with anyone who has suspended the constitution, imposed emergency rule and oppressed the judiciary. That's why we're holding the long march."

Pakistan Protest March Will Go On
Pakistan's Bhutto Prepares 'Long March' Against Emergency Rule

No rally for BB

2007-11-12T20:46:00.000+05:00

According to a government spokesman, Benazir Bhutto will not be allowed to hold a protest procession from Lahore to Islamabad as it will violate a ban on political rallies under the state of emergency. Bhutto was due to depart from Lahore, tomorrow morning for Islamabad. The journey was expected to take about three days, and her party had boasted that thousands of supporters were expected to join her en route.

This rally would have completely disrupted all vehicular traffic on the only motorway connecting Lahore and Islamabad, and practically brought normal life to a halt in Lahore, and then in Islamabad.

Information Minister Tariq Azim has told Associated Press that "All processions, rallies, political gatherings at present are outlawed. So if she breaks the law then obviously she will not be allowed to do it."

Government Won't Allow Bhutto Procession
Pakistan bans Bhutto rally, citing security
Bhutto placed under house arrest again
Pakistan to block Bhutto's march

Pakistan may be suspended from Commonwealth once again

2007-11-12T20:35:00.000+05:00

Malta's foreign minister Michael Frendo, who chairs the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) has expressed disappointment at Musharraf's November 3 decision to declare a state of emergency in Pakistan. He has warned President Musharraf to restore constitutional rule before holding elections or risk possible suspension from the Commonwealth.

While demanding the return to consitutionality accompanied by free and fair elections, Frendo said that Musharraf would be "wrong" to ignore the Commonwealth.

Pakistan was suspended from the group's councils in 1999 following the military coup that brought Musharraf to power. However, the country was reinstated to full membership in May 2004, but has been on the watch list of the CMAG ever since.

Hindustan Times
The Commonwealth Gives Pakistan A November 22 Deadline To Lift Emergency
UN chief urges Pakistan to end emergency rule

Welcome

2007-11-12T16:23:00.000+05:00

Welcome to Pakistan Citizen News. With censorship on most news media, we bring you the latest, directly reported by citizens in every nook and corner of Pakistan.

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