Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: The chairperson of the Human Right Commission of Pakistan, Asma Jehangir, in detention in Lahore since the imposition of - emergency plus', has severely criticized the latest act of granting military ... via South Asian Media Net

“He knew senior Al-Qaeda people, and was moving equipment and supplies.”

A Pakistani businessman suspected of playing a role in the 2002 brutal killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl died earlier this year, shortly after being interrogated by US and Pakistani intelligence, The ... via Arab Times

“We can't say with absolute certainty that we know where they all are”

WASHINGTON * The United States has developed contingency plans to safeguard Pakistani nuclear weapons if they risk falling into the wrong hands, but US officials worry that their limited knowledge about the ... via The Peninsula

“It was the most difficult decision I have ever taken in my life”

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Sunday that Pakistan will stick to its January schedule for parliamentary elections but he set no time limit on emergency rule, raising grave doubts about whether the crucial vote can be free and fair.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, speaking two days after she was briefly put under house arrest, said the schedule for elections was 'a first positive step,' but with an emergency in place, it would be 'difficult' to campaign.

Other opposition parties said Musharraf's sweeping powers, which have already led to thousands of arrests and a ban on rallies, would make a mockery of the democratic process. Read more

“India was hopeful of a peaceful transition in Pakistan as a peaceful and stable Pakistan was in everybody's interest.”

India Sunday said it was 'deeply worried' about instability in Pakistan in the aftermath of the declaration of emergency as the political turmoil there could lead to an increase in militancy. via New Delhi News.Net

“It again reflects that desperation, because we're seeing more and more soft targets attacked versus military installation or coalition forces.”

Five U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Marine were killed in an ambush in eastern Afghanistan, military officials said Saturday, raising the U.S. death toll in the country to 108 in a year that has become the ... via The Herald

“Three foreign journalists have been given 72 hours to leave”

Pakistan ordered the expulsion of three journalists from a British newspaper for using "foul and abusive" language about the troubled country and its leadership, the government said on Saturday. via The Age

Like all the democratic peoples of the world, those on both sides of Jammu and Kashmir are in shock and saddened by the imposition of martial law under the veneer of emergency in Pakistan. via AndhraNews

Peshawar: With the latest suicide attack on a Federal Minister Ameer Muqam's house in Hayatabad, Peshawar, the number of suicide attacks in Pakistan reached to 62 which killed 800 people. via Ground Report

“This government is going to go.”

Pakistan announced plans to lift its state of emergency within one month and allowed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to leave her villa following a day under house arrest, as the country sought Saturday to restore its battered image at home and abroad.

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf insists he called the week-old emergency to help fight Islamic extremists who control large swathes of territory near the Afghan border. One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said militants abducted eight soldiers Saturday in the formerly popular tourist district of Swat. Read more

“We support the Pakistani media who is refusing to comply with the censorship imposed by President General Pervez Musharraf on November 3.”

PESHAWAR/LAHORE: The Reporters Sans Frontieres on Friday announced that it would support Pakistani journalists who are defying the government's curbs on the media since the proclamation of an emergency. via South Asian Media Net

“Failure to take these steps immediately is sure to come at a steep cost”

The Bush administration has concluded it is not legally required to cut or suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Pakistan despite President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of a state of emergency and ... via The Oregonian

“The security personnel foiled attempt on life of the minister by sacrificing their lives. We cannot say anything conclusive about the incident until investigations are completed”

Four persons, including a suicide bomber and three Pakistani security personnel, were killed and five others, including a former member of the provincial assembly, were injured Friday in a suicide attack on a ... via NowPublic

“I expect that (the order) is all over by now”

Pakistani police placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrest Friday, uncoiling barbed wire in front of her Islamabad villa, and reportedly rounding up thousands of her supporters to block a mass protest against emergency rule.

The United States called for the restrictions on Bhutto to be lifted, saying it was 'crucial for Pakistan's future that moderate political forces work together to bring Pakistan back on the path to democracy.' A government spokesman promised she would be free by Saturday. Read more

“All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.”

Islamist barbarians are at the gates. The president declares de facto martial law. via New York Daily News

“We find ourselves, along with the BBC, among the only international broadcasters currently heard inside of Pakistan.”

By Khalid Hasan WASHINGTON: The Voice of America 's Urdu Service has expanded its radio news broadcasts from five to 12.5 hours daily in response to the crisis in Pakistan and because of the blackout of private ... via Daily Times

“My students may be young, but it is heartening to learn how well-informed they are”

President Pervez Musharraf [ Images ] as Lord Voldemort, the villain in J K Rowling's [ Images ] hugely popular Harry Potter [ Images ] series, and former premier Benazir Bhutto [ Images ] as Umbridge, an "evil ... via Rediff.com

Three politicians and a union activist were charged with treason for making anti-government speeches in the southern port city of Karachi, a court official said Thursday.

The men were the first to be reported charged with treason since President Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency on Saturday and suspended Pakistan's constitution.

The four were arrested Monday and were interrogated by police before being formally charged Wednesday, said a court official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Read more

“You cannot combat extremism using the same methods as extremists.”

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is promising a return to democracy by mid-February. Parliamentary elections were scheduled for January, and state television quotes him as saying they'll be put off by no ... via WPXI