Category Archives: Pakistan

At least 15 people are reported to have died in an explosion at an election rally in north-west Pakistan. The blast is believed to have happened near the stage at a rally of Jamaat Ulema Islam – Fazl (JUI-F), a religious party, in the tribal Kurram region. Dozens of people were injured, according to local officials. This is the latest in a string of attacks on parties and candidates since campaigning began last month for the general election on 11 May. Many of the attacks, but not all, have been against secular parties. A JUI-F candidate from another constituency in the same region, Maulana Ainuddin Shakir, who was also present … Continue reading →

Pakistan’s former leader Gen Pervez Musharraf has been remanded in judicial custody for two weeks over claims he illegally detained judges in 2007. Mr Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan between 1999 and 2007, was arrested on Friday. The High Court ruled that the allegations amounted to an act of terrorism and ordered him to appear at Islamabad’s anti-terror court. His farmhouse, on the outskirts of the federal capital, has been declared a “sub-jail in view of threats to his life. In the morning, Gen. (retd.) Musharraf was taken to court from the Islamabad Police Headquarters where he had spent the night in the Inspector-General’s suite amid tight security. He was also … Continue reading →

Pakistan’s top court has ordered former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to respond to allegations he committed treason. On Tuesday, judges at the Supreme Court will consider an application to have him put on trial for imposing emergency rule and arresting judges in 2007. The order comes after he was approved to run in next month’s polls. But he has also been barred from leaving the country – two weeks after he returned from self-imposed exile. Gen Musharraf – who led a military government from 1999 until 2008 – had lived in Dubai and London and returned to run in the forthcoming parliamentary elections despite outstanding court cases against him. Correspondents say … Continue reading →

Pakistan’s elected government completed its full five-year term on Saturday, the first in the country’s turbulent history to do so, leaving a legacy of Taliban violence, sectarian unrest, chronic power cuts and a fragile economy. Parliament was dissolved at midnight after completing its term, and a caretaker administration will manage the government until general elections which must take place within 90 days Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was expected to remain in office until the appointment of a caretaker prime minister, a process expected to take a few days. Pakistani newspapers noted the historic nature of the changeover in a country known for political upheaval and long bouts of military … Continue reading →

Pakistani police registered an accusation from a businessman on Thursday that the country’s ambassador to the United States had committed blasphemy, a crime that carries the death penalty, in connection with a 2010 TV talk show. The accusation against Ambassador Sherry Rehman is the latest in a string of controversial blasphemy cases in Pakistan, a largely Muslim nation whose name translates as Land of the Pure According to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, anyone found to have uttered words derogatory to the Prophet Muhammad can be put to death. Those who are accused are sometimes lynched by mobs even before they reach court. Rehman has already faced death threats from militants after … Continue reading →

The Pakistani government came under attack from two angles Tuesday as the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the country’s Prime Minister and a rowdy anti-government rally took place near the national parliament. Even by the standards of Pakistan’s often turbulent politics, it was a stormy day that ratcheted tensions ahead of national elections later this year. The Supreme Court, which has clashed repeatedly with Pakistan’s political leaders in recent years, issued the arrest order for Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and a number of other officials over allegations of illegal payments for electricity-generating projects when Ashraf was minister for water and power. Speaking on local broadcaster Dunya News, Fawad … Continue reading →

In a rare challenge, a Shi’ite Muslim leader has publicly criticised Pakistani military chief General Ashfaq Kayani over security in the country after bombings targeting the minority sect killed 118 people. The criticism of Kayani, arguably the most powerful man in the South Asian state, highlighted Shi’ite frustrations with Pakistan’s failure to contain Sunni Muslim militant groups who have vowed to wipe out Shi’ites. “I ask the army chief: What have you done with these extra three years you got (in office)? What did you give us except more death?” Maulana Amin Shaheedi, who heads a national council of Shi’ite organisations, told a news conference. Most of Thursday’s deaths were … Continue reading →