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Is Pakistan's Zardari creating new dictatorship?
Tariq Kahn: Pakistan's President Zardari is not rescinding legal framework of dictatorship. Part 2
Tariq Amin-Khan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University. In addition to a PhD in Social and Political Thought from York University in Toronto, he holds a Master’s degree in South Asian Studies from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Law from the University of Karachi in Pakistan. The title of his doctoral thesis is Theorizing the Post-Colonial State in the Era of Capitalist Globalism.
See Part 1 at: http://current.com/items/89339338_pakistan_on_the_brink
See Part 3 at: http://current.com/items/89361227_global_meltdown_pakis...
See Part 4 at: http://current.com/items/89373446_what_do_the_taliban_w... Tariq Kahn: Pakistan's President Zardari is not rescinding legal framework of dictatorship. Part 2 ... more -
Who's in US line of fire in Pak tribal areas?
The revamped war on terror: Who's who in Pakistan's tribal areas. Part 2
In the second part of this series, Pakistan analyst Khawar Mehdi explains to Pepe Escobar how US forces crossed from Afghanistan to Pakistan in hot pursuit, in their raid on the tribal areas on September 2. Mehdi identifies the key tribal leaders the US is after, from fabled Mujahideen Jalaluddin Haqqani, a veteran of the jihad in the 1980s, to Baitullah Mahsud, the leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, the top Taliban group in the Pakistani tribal areas. The aims and strategies of different groups are also discussed. Included is rare, recent footage shot in North and South Waziristan.
Khawar Mehdi, born in Rawalpindi, is a Pakistani journalist and political analyst. Even before 9/11 he had advised numerous journalists, academics and researchers from North America and Europe working in the tribal areas of Pakistan and in Afghanistan. In 2004 he was imprisoned and tortured by President Pervez Musharraf's regime while investigating the presence of Taliban training camps inside Pakistan. He was released thanks to an international media campaign - after a personal intervention by Musharraf. Mehdi has unparalleled access to sources in Pakistan's FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). He has been living in Virginia since 2005, working as an analyst/consultant.
See Part 1 at: http://current.com/items/89316301_the_revamped_war_on_t...
See Part 3 at: http://current.com/items/89318873_al_qaeda_and_jihad_s_...
See Part 4 at: http://current.com/items/89323433_pakistani_army_protec... The revamped war on terror: Who's who in Pakistan's tribal areas. Part 2 ... more -
The revamped war on terror exposed
How Pakistan reacts against US Special Forces in the tribal areas. Part 1
This is the first part of a series on the new face of the "war on terror" in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region. This follows the latest US Special Forces operations inside Pakistan in the last few days. Journalist and analyst Khawar Mehdi tells Pepe Escobar about the main political players involved; the strain the new US strategy puts over the Pakistani military and government; the ways Pakistani public opinion and tribal area Pashtuns are angrily reacting to it; and the consequences of renewed anti-US sentiment spreading to most sectors of Pakistani society.
Khawar Mehdi, born in Rawalpindi, is a Pakistani journalist and political analyst. Even before 9/11 he had advised numerous journalists, academics and researchers from North America and Europe working in the tribal areas of Pakistan and in Afghanistan. In 2004 he was imprisoned and tortured by President Pervez Musharraf's regime while investigating the presence of Taliban training camps inside Pakistan. He was released thanks to an international media campaign - after a personal intervention by Musharraf. Mehdi has unparalleled access to sources in Pakistan's FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). He has been living in Virginia since 2005, working as an analyst/consultant.
See Part 2 at: http://current.com/items/89316341_who_s_in_us_line_of_f...
See Part 3 at: http://current.com/items/89318873_al_qaeda_and_jihad_s_...
See Part 4 at: http://current.com/items/89323433_pakistani_army_protec... How Pakistan reacts against US Special Forces in the tribal areas. Part 1 ... more -
Pakistan party mulls leaving coalition
Pakistan's fragile ruling coalition is at risk of being pulled apart today, setting the stage for a major political showdown two weeks before the country's politicians choose a new president.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, head of the second-largest party in the coalition, has laid down a Monday deadline for the reinstatement of judges sacked by Pervez Musharraf, who resigned as president last week.
But it was unclear if the coalition's other main party, the PPP, would agree to their immediate restoration. Sharif has threatened to pull out of the coalition if the PPP refuses.
The PPP still would have enough allies in parliament to hold the government together with the withdrawal of Sharif's party, but analysts say that governing in the long term would be difficult with Sharif in opposition.
The political bickering has also underlined concerns for Pakistan's stability as the country tries to keep a lid on Islamic militants from the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Nearly 100 people were killed in suicide bombings last week alone. Pakistan Taliban say the bombings were carried out in response to a military campaign against them - and have threatened more attacks to come.
Musharraf sacked the judges last year to ensure there would be no legal challenges to his re-election as president while holding the dual role as head of Pakistan's powerful military.
Their sacking set off a wave of public protests, however, and eventually led to the coalition threatening to impeach Musharraf before he stepped down last Monday.
Now critics say the PPP may not want to restore the judges either, because of fears that they could overturn the amnesty on corruption charges that allowed PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari to return to the country last year.
Zardari took over the party after his wife Benazir Bhutto, another former premier was assassinated in December, and he is likely to be selected by MPs on September 6 as the new president.
But Sharif's party could split from the coalition and then run another candidate for the presidency if the two sides do not find common ground on the judges. Nomination papers are due to be filed by tomorrow. Pakistan's fragile ruling coalition is at risk of being pulled apart today, setting the stage for a major political showdown two ... more -
Bhutto widower proposed for Pakistan president
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan's largest political party on Friday proposed the husband of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto to succeed the ousted Pervez Musharraf as president.
Asif Ali Zardari, who is emerging as the favorite to be elected by legislators Sept. 6, criticized Musharraf for his long, authoritarian rule but would likely continue the former general's support for the U.S. war against extremist groups.
However, his ascent would dismay many Pakistanis, who view him as a symbol of the sleaze that tainted the country's last experiment with civilian rule in the 1990s. He won the nickname "Mr. 10 Percent" for alleged corruption during his wife's turns as prime minister.
And, with the governing coalition that drove Musharraf to resign this week now teetering on the verge of collapse, Zardari's nomination is not certain. He is engaged in intense political horse-trading with the leader of the other key party, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was a bitter rival of Bhutto.
Sharif had no immediate reaction to Zardari's nomination, but his party has been threatening to bolt from the coalition in a struggle over power.
Many citizens, as well as Pakistan's Western backers, are urging the parties to resolve political issues and turn their attention to runaway inflation, slowing economic growth and inexorably rising violence by Islamic militants entrenched along the border with Afghanistan.
That need was rammed home Thursday by twin Taliban suicide bombings that killed 67 people at the country's biggest weapons manufacturing complex, just 22 miles from the capital, Islamabad. On Friday, security forces killed 16 militants, including two suspected suicide bombers, in a clash in the restive frontier in the northwest, officials said.
After seeking to tame militant groups in peace negotiations, the government has been entangled in recent weeks in increasing fighting with hard-line Islamic movements along the border. Militant violence began intensifying after Musharraf ordered soldiers to seize a radical mosque in Islamabad during a bloody battle in July 2007.
According to Associated Press reporting, at least 110 militant attacks have been launched on government, military or police targets since the mosque siege and about 20 attacks have targeted civilians. At least 60 of all those attacks were suicide bombings ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan's largest political party on Friday proposed the husband of assassinated leader Benazir Bhut... more -
Crunch talks for Pakistan leaders
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said his party will pull out, unless judges sacked by ex-President Pervez Musharraf are immediately reinstated.
The other disagreement is over who should succeed Mr Musharraf, following his resignation on Monday.
The talks come a day after more than 60 people died in twin suicide attacks.
The party leaders failed to hammer out a deal when they met on Monday and Tuesday.
Most members of the biggest party in the coalition, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), want to nominate as president Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of their late leader, Benazir Bhutto. She was assassinated in December last year.
The president is chosen by the two chambers of the national parliament and the country's four provincial elections. The election will be held on 6 September.
But Mr Sharif, who leads the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), prefers what he calls a consensus president.
The coalition was elected in February but analysts say it has failed to find solutions to Pakistan's economic crisis and to the militants in its north-western tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Islamabad says the politicians' squabbling is hindering any possible plan for tackling militant violence.
The Pakistani Taleban claimed responsibility for Thursday's suicide bombings on an ordnance factory in the town of Wah, near the capital Islamabad. It was the deadliest attack on a military site in Pakistan's history.
The militant group promised more attacks in Pakistan's major urban conurbations unless the army withdrew from the tribal areas.
On Tuesday, 32 people were killed in a suicide attack on a hospital in the northern town of Dera Ismail Khan.
Mr Musharraf, a key ally of President Bush's "war on terror", stepped down this week after nine years in power to avoid being impeached.
He sacked about 60 Supreme Court judges during a state of emergency in November to prevent them from overturning his re-election as president.
Analysts say that although the PPP and PML-N worked together to hound Mr Musharraf from office, there is a history of intense rivalry and mistrust between the two main parties.
The parties differ over the future of Mr Musharraf, who has been replaced by a caretaker president, the speaker of the Senate.
Mr Zardari's party has said it believes Mr Musharraf may have immunity from prosecution.
But Mr Sharif's party argues he should stand trial for, among other things, abrogating the constitution. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said his party will pull out, unless judges sacked by ex-President Pervez Musharraf are immedia... more -
A new Pakistani political struggle emerges
There's no good reason to think the new leaders will do any better than Musharraf in assisting in the war on terror
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Post Musharraf - Not Much to Rejoice
I came across a smart youngman full of passion for the Musharraf government because of all the right things that had finally started happening for Pakistan in the past 8 years. With the exception of the former President's last year in power, this youth has a vibrant take on Pervaiz Musharraf, the success he had in finally providing Pakistan with much-needed stability and where he thinks we're heading from here. It's a bit long, but it is the voice we're not hearing enough of. I came across a smart youngman full of passion for the Musharraf government because of all the right things that had finally started h... more
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Musharraf resigns
Beleaguered president leaves but Pakistan's problems remain.
With opponents vowing to impeach him, Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday. According to the Guardian Newspaper Musharraf’s problems are far from over. Though covered for his military coup in 1999 by a constitutional amendment, he has no such protection for the state of emergency he declared last fall, and is thus open to prosecution as long as he remains in Pakistan. There are also a lot of people-mainly Islamic militants-who want to kill him. According to the Hindu newspaper “Musharraf’s exit is unlikely to undo Pakistani militants. “ It goes on to state that the country’s new civilian government has done "little to change Musharraf’s policies in the troubled northwest regions bordering Afghanistan. The coalition government wants to retain close ties to Washington, and support the international fight against Islamic extremism." Beleaguered president leaves but Pakistan's problems remain. ... more -
1998-2008: Ten years in the life of Pervez Musharraf //hamropalo
From Oct 7, 1998 when he became chief of army staff to Oct 12, 1999 when he ousted the Nawaz Sharif government and now, almost nine years later, when he quit Monday as Pakistan's 12th president, Pervez Musharraf has played a key role in the country's development.
His political career in a nutshell:
Oct 7, 1998: Appointed chief of army staff.
April 9, 1999: Given additional charge of chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
May-July, 1999: Kargil conflict in Jammu and Kashmir. Musharraf claims he acted on the orders of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Oct 12, 1999: Overthrows Sharif in bloodless military coup; sends him into exile to Saudi Arabia a year later; dissolves parliament and names himself chief executive, even as then president Rafiq Tarar remains in office.
May 12, 2000: Supreme Court orders Musharraf to hold national elections by Oct 12, 2002.
June 20, 2001: Appoints himself president.
July 14, 2001: Travels to Agra for summit with then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee; talks fail.
Dec 13, 2001: Terror attack on Indian parliament, for which India blames Islamabad-supported militant groups.
Dec 19, 2001: India and Pakistan almost go to war. India orders largest peacetime mobilisation along border with Pakistan.
April 30, 2002: Conducts referendum to extend his term to five years.
Jan 12, 2002: Delivers landmark speech against Islamic extremism; unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and pledges to combat Islamic extremism and lawlessness within Pakistan.
Oct 10, 2002: General elections bring Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to power.
Nov 24, 2003: India and Pakistan declare truce along border.
Dec 2003: Makes deal with six-party religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to leave the army by Dec 31, 2004 to cobble together two-thirds majority in parliament to retroactively legalise 1999 coup; later retracts on deal.
Dec 14, 2003: Survives assassination attempt.
Dec 25, 2003: Survives another assassination attempt.
Jan 1, 2004: Wins confidence vote in Electoral College of Pakistan comprising both houses of parliament and four provincial assemblies.
Sep 17, 2005: Makes historic speech before broad based audience of Jewish leadership, sponsored by the American Jewish Congress, in New York, denouncing terrorism and opening the door to relationships between Israel and Pakistan, as well as between the Muslim world and Jews worldwide.
March 9, 2007: Suspends Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
March 12, 2007: Lawyers across Pakistan boycott court procedures to protest Chaudhry's suspension.
July 6, 2007: Another attempted assassination against Musharraf.
July 8, 2007: Security forces storm Islamabad's Lal Masjid to flush out fundamentalists.
July 20, 2007: Supreme Court reinstates Chaudhry.
Sep 13, 2007: Islamic militants in North West Frontier Province capture 300 Pakistani troops as government moves to assert its authority in the area.
Oct 6, 2007: Musharraf re-elected president for a second term.
Oct 18, 2007: Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan from exile.
Nov 3, 2007: Musharraf declares state of emergency; suspends parliament, sacks Supreme Court bench.
click http:///www.hamropalo.com for detail From Oct 7, 1998 when he became chief of army staff to Oct 12, 1999 when he ousted the Nawaz Sharif government and now, almost nine ye... more -
Pakistani dictators Zia and Musharraf had much in common //hamropalo
Pakistan's two former military dictators - Gen. Ziaul Haq and Gen. Pervez Musharraf - had much in common, besides the fact that both were born in India and moved to Pakistan after the subcontinent was partitioned in 1947. Zia died 20 years and a day before Musharraf's rule ended.
Both were born in August - Zia on Aug 12, 1924 at Jalandhar and Musharraf on Aug 11, 1943 in Delhi. Both overthrew the governments of the prime ministers who had appointed them army chiefs out of turn and bypassing five senior generals.
Former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto appointed Zia as the army chief by superseding five generals, hoping that Zia would prove loyal to him as he was from amongst the Punjabi people settled in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Unconfirmed reports say that Bhutto used to refer to Zia as a 'monkey general'.
Nawaz Sharif appointed Musharraf the army chief superseding five generals and thought he would remain loyal as he belonged to a minority ethnic group.
Both Zia and Musharraf were removed from power in August - Zia after his plane crashed Aug 17, 1988 while Musharraf was forced to resign Aug 18, 2008.
The fathers of both military dictators were government employees in undivided India and moved to Pakistan after partition. Both Zia and Musharraf were identified as mohajirs (refugees) in Pakistan and not as sons of the soil.
Among generals both were considered to be extremely lucky who got promoted to the top position in the army despite several negative remarks against them in the annual confidential reports.
'Usually, with such remarks, no officer goes beyond major,' said Usman Khan, a retired brigadier.
Both were under scrutiny when the 1965 war broke out between India and Pakistan but their cases were closed because of the emergency situation.
Zia joined the British Indian Army in New Delhi in 1943, the year when Musharraf was born and both had fought the 1965 and 1971 wars against India.
Both military dictators started the local bodies system in the country. Zia's initiative was abandoned by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government that came to power after his death. The one started by Musharraf is already under scrutiny by the current PPP-led coalition government.
Both military generals cobbled together a political group of opportunists and formed a political party known as Pakistan Muslim League. Pakistan's two former military dictators - Gen. Ziaul Haq and Gen. Pervez Musharraf - had much in common, besides the fact that b... more -
Musharraf’s exit will not end Pakistan’s woe
To judge by the responses of people whom my assistant and I talked with on the streets of Peshawar this weekend, most Pakistanis will greet the departure of President Pervez Musharraf from office with great satisfaction. Fewer than 10 per cent of those interviewed said he had done a good job even at the start of his rule. The rest said they disliked or even hated Mr Musharraf for two main reasons: he has failed to stop inflation, and “he has taken American money to kill his own people”.
The tragedy of Mr Musharraf is thus that his administration has been destroyed by factors largely beyond his control – notably the relationship with the US – although some of his decisions may have made them worse. The tragedy of Pakistan is that these factors now apply to all Pakistani governments.
Mr Musharraf has made considerable achievements – providing Pakistan’s best economic management for many years, and contributing to a growth rate that until the present downturn was among the highest in the world. His government was far less corrupt than that of his predecessors, and he himself has never been credibly accused of personal corruption.
Mr Musharraf’s own progressive and tolerant ideals contributed to an opening up of Pakistani cultural life, which had been for so long stifled by the legacy of General Zia’s official Islamisation policy. He introduced a devolution of power to elected local councils that, while flawed, gives the possibility for the growth of democracy in Pakistan’s districts, rather than the appearance of it in its parliament. Lastly, he belatedly went as far as any Pakistani leader can go in seeking a settlement with India.
Of course, Mr Musharraf could never be forgiven by the western media or Pakistani liberals for being a military ruler – although most of those same liberals had welcomed his coup in 1999. His military background may also have accentuated a personal flaw, which was a tendency to make impulsive and risky decisions. Neither his reputation nor his relations with India fully recovered from his responsibility for the militarily brilliant but geopolitically crazy Kargil operation in 1999. His hasty decision last year to dismiss most of the Supreme Court precipitated the events leading to his fall from power.
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Click on the link for the full article. To judge by the responses of people whom my assistant and I talked with on the streets of Peshawar this weekend, most Pakistanis will ... more -
Pakistan's President Musharraf resigns
(CNN) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday after weeks of pressure to relinquish power.
Musharraf told the nation in a televised address that he would step down -- nearly nine years after he seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999.
"I don't want the people of Pakistan to slide deeper and deeper into uncertainty," Musharraf said.
"For the interest of the nation, I have decided to resign as president," he said. "I am not asking for anything. I will let the people of Pakistan decide my future." Watch Musharraf resign »
He was expected to turn in his resignation to parliament Monday.
"It will be accepted, there is no second opinion about that," said Iqbal Zaffar Jhagra, the secretary general of the junior partner in the ruling coalition, the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).
Musharraf quit as the ruling coalition was taking steps to impeach him.
Local media reports said he had been granted "safe passage" out of the country.
Musharraf has been a keen ally of the West in the fight on terror, receiving billions in military aid from the U.S. and launching attacks on militant groups near the country's border with Afghanistan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said he had been a "friend to the United States" and one of the "most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism."
"President Musharraf made the critical choice to join the fight against al-Qaida, the Taliban, and other extremist groups that threaten the peace and security of Pakistan, its neighbors, and partners throughout the world. For this, he has our deep gratitude," she said.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said it was strongly committed to its alliance with Pakistan following Musharraf's resignation.
He praised Musharraf's economic and security achievements, described Pakistan as a "vital friend" and said Britain's aid program for the country would continue, The Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, two Afghanistan government spokesman told AP Musharraf's resignation would be good for their country.
Until now, Musharraf, 65, had resisted pressure to resign. But his power had eroded since parties opposed to his rule swept to victory in February's parliamentary elections.
Musharraf spent a large part of his speech delivering a state-of-the-union style list of Pakistan's "accomplishments" under his rule. He contrasted it with what he called the deteriorating economic situation now.
"After the elections, the nation wanted solutions from the new government," he said. "But the politicians could not do so. A personal vendetta was started."
A coalition committee spent last week compiling a list of charges against Musharraf including corruption, economic mismanagement and violating the constitution. Parliament was expected to consider an impeachment motion Monday or Tuesday.
"I am confident that not a single charge can stand against me," Musharraf said. "I have not done anything for my personal gain. Whatever I have done, I have done it for Pakistan."
Faisal Kapadia, a commodities trader in Karachi who runs a blog about Pakistan called Deadpan Thoughts, said Musharraf's decision would get a mixed reaction.
"Leading Pakistan is not an easy task, and anyone doing it comes under a lot of criticism," he said.
"In the start, most Pakistanis were for him. And he still has some supporters -- especially because the new government, which promised to do things differently, has failed to do much in the past 100 days in power." (CNN) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday after weeks of pressure to relinquish power. ... more -
Musharraf Resigns to Avoid Impeachment
Facing the threat of impeachment, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf took to the airwaves Monday to resign in a live address to the nation. Facing the threat of impeachment, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf took to the airwaves Monday to resign in a live address to the ... more
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Pakistan's Musharraf quits
President Pervez Musharraf has said he'll step down today before impeachment proceedings against him. He made his announcement in a televised address to Pakistan today to defend himself against the impeachment charges drawn up by the country's governing coalition. The finalised charges were to be filed this week. The impeachment would have been the first in Pakistan's history.
"After consultations with my legal advisers and close political friends, for the country and the nation today, I am deciding to resign from my office. I am leaving with the satisfaction that whatever I did for this country and the population, I did with honesty and commitment," a teary-eyed Musharraf said.
"But I am also a human being," he added. "I might have made some mistakes, but I have hope that this nation and the population will tolerate those mistakes with the belief that my intentions were always clear and to the benefit of this country."
Musharraf is stepping down from a presidency he seized nearly nine years ago in coup. Local media reports said he has been granted "safe passage" out of the country. President Pervez Musharraf has said he'll step down today before impeachment proceedings against him. He made his announcement in... more -
Musharraf running out of time
Pakistan's foreign minister has said President Pervez Musharraf must stand down in the next two days or face impeachment proceedings. "Musharraf is running out of time", said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) - a major partner in the governing coalition.
Draft charges against the president include violation of the constitution and gross misconduct, officials said. Mr Musharraf's office has said he will not resign and will defend himself. The impeachment campaign was launched last week by leaders of the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
A PML-N official said: "There is a long list of charges against him... we will file them, by the latest, by Tuesday." If Mr Musharraf chooses not to quit, he would be the first president in Pakistan's history to be impeached.
(continued at link) Pakistan's foreign minister has said President Pervez Musharraf must stand down in the next two days or face impeachment proceedi... more -
Musharraf is expected to resign in next few days
Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, an important ally of the United States, is expected to resign in the next few days rather than face impeachment charges, Pakistani politicians and Western diplomats said Thursday.
His departure from office is likely to unleash new instability in the country as the two main parties in the civilian government jockey for the division of power.
The details of how Mr. Musharraf would exit, and whether he would be able to stay in Pakistan — apparently his strong preference — or would seek residency abroad were now under discussion, the politicians said.
Mr. Musharraf was expected to resign before the coalition presented charges for impeachment to the Parliament early next week, said Nisar Ali Khan, a senior official in the Pakistani Muslim League-N, the minority partner in the coalition government.
[continued] Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan... more -
West rushes to save Musharraf
British and American diplomats are attempting to find an exit for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, a staunch western ally, before he is dragged through a humiliating impeachment process.
Rumours that Musharraf is set to quit have been circulating in Pakistan for several days. He has suffered a collapse in support as three of Pakistan's four provincial parliaments have passed resolutions, with overwhelming backing, declaring him unfit for office. The fourth province is expected to follow soon.
The provincial votes were symbolic, but the formal process will begin early next week with an impeachment motion in the national parliament. It is clear that the ruling coalition now has the two-thirds majority needed to impeach him.
Government insiders said that if Musharraf wants to quit, he must do so before the impeachment proceedings begin, leaving him with only a few days.
His spokesman has rebutted any suggestion that he will step down. British and American diplomats are attempting to find an exit for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, a staunch western ally, ... more -
Al-Qaeda Deputy Head Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Audio Recording: Musharraf Accepted Isra...
On August 10, 2008, Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri released an audio recording consisting of accusations against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. In the recording, which was distributed by the Al-Qaeda media company Al-Sahab and aired by Pakistan's independent television network ARY One World, Al-Zawahiri spoke in English, exclusively addressing a Pakistani audience.
Al-Zawahiri told his audience of his early years as a doctor in Pakistan, noting that he had gone there for the first time in 1980 to provide medical treatment to the mujahideen fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. He said that he had spent six years in Pakistan but that later, due to U.S. pressure, the government had forced him to leave.
Discussing his earliest connections with Pakistan, Al-Zawahiri said that he had read the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the famous Indian Muslim religious poet (1877 - 1938) who is seen as one of the ideological founders of Pakistan. He added that his grandfather, Abd Al-Wahab Azzam, had translated a collection of Iqbal's poems, Diwan-e-Iqbal, into Arabic.
Following is a summary of the main points of Al-Zawahiri's recording, as published by the Urdu-language daily Roznama Express: [1]
Musharraf Stabbed the Mujahideen in Kashmir with a Dagger
In the tape, Al-Zawahiri accused President Musharraf of endangering Pakistan's national security by taking power. He said that it was because of Musharraf's wrong policies that drug dealers and pro-India and pro-Russia people were in power in Afghanistan today. Also as a result of those policies, he said, India today had access to Tajikistan's air bases, and its influence in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region had grown.
Musharraf Accepted Israel's Existence on PalestinianTerritory
Al-Zawahiri said that Musharraf's proposed solution to the Kashmir issue was akin to giving up Kashmir to the Indians, that Musharraf had stabbed the mujahideen in Kashmir with a dagger, and that the "jihad in Kashmir" should be freed from the control of Pakistan's intelligence agencies. He said that for all practical purposes, Musharraf had accepted Israel's existence on Palestinian territory, as well as allowing U.S. intelligence agencies to operate freely within Pakistan and to establish secret detention centers in the country. He also said that Pakistani politics were dictated by the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan.
Musharraf Endangered Pakistan's Nuclear Program
According to Al-Zawahiri, Musharraf had endangered Pakistan's nuclear program, and had made a scapegoat of nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan to please the U.S. Also, he said, Pakistani politicians were creating instability in a nation capable of atomic power in order to endear themselves to the U.S.
The People Of Pakistan Must Rise Up To Wage Jihad
Al-Zawahiri accused the Pakistani Army of arresting Al-Qaeda commander Abu Al-Faraj Al-Libi, and pointed out that the army was fighting an American war in the tribal districts on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border which was resulting only in losses for the Pakistanis.
He concluded by criticizing Pakistan's religious parties for their "silence" over the July 2007 military operation in Islamabad's Red Mosque, and urged the people of Pakistan to rise up to wage jihad. On August 10, 2008, Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri released an audio recording consisting of accusations against Pakista... more -
Double blow for Musharraf action from Pakistan parties as well as from Al Qaeda
Al Qaeda has launched a blistering attack on Pakistan's beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf accusing him of betraying Muslims by supporting the US-led war in Afghanistan.In a rare English language audio message believed to be from Ayman Al Zawahiri, which was aired on Sunday by a Pakistani private TV network, Osama bin Laden's number two called for jihad against Pakistan, listing a litany of charges against Musharraf.Al-Zawahiri said in the tape that Musharraf had betrayed Muslims by supporting the US after the September 11, 2001 attacks in its battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan.Zawahiri urged Pakistanis to rise up against the United States or at least support the insurgents."Pervez has insulted and compromised Pakistan's sovereignty by allowing the CIA and FBI to operate freely in Pakistan and arrest, interrogate, torture, deport and detain any person, whether Pakistani or not, for as long as they like, thus turning the Pakistani army and security agencies into hunting dogs in the contemporary crusade," said the purported tape from al-Zawahiri.The message, the authenticity of which has not been fully confirmed, came as Pakistan's leader fights a critical battle for his political survival, threatened by an impeachment motion by opponents.The Pakistan television channel ARY said the tape was delivered to its office in Islamabad by an unidentified person. People familiar with Zawahiri's voice said the tape could be genuine. Al Qaeda has launched a blistering attack on Pakistan's beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf accusing him of betraying Muslims ... more
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Musharraf
