The previous democratically-elected government in Bhutan sought to get cosy with China. Will the new Tshering Tobgay dispensation mend the fences with India? Shubha Singh examines
The session of the 342-member Assembly commenced on Monday evening as the Paksitan People's Party-led coalition said it has drawn up an "unimpeachable" chargesheet listing allegations of misconduct, violation of Constitution and financial irregularities against Musharraf, who turned 65 on Monday.
The Pakistan People's Party-led coalition comprising Musharraf's opponents came to power after his ally Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid was routed in the February 18 election. But the former General, who is being sidelined by the new dispensation, has apparently decided to keep a distance from the Parliament by not convening a joint session, which he would have addressed.Under the previous government, Musharraf had addressed parliament once during its five-year term.
Ruling out the handing over to India of any Pakistani national found to be involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today said such persons will be tried in the country under local laws.
Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani on Saturday offered a dialogue to militants who lay down their arms, saying ending terrorism is his first priority. He also pledged to reinstate the judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during emergency last year. Unveiling a slew of populist measures in his first policy statement after securing an unprecedented unanimous vote of confidence, Gillani told the National Assembly that terrorism is the biggest problem.
The bomber blew himself up at the residence of PML-N leader Rasheed Akbar Nawani, a prominent politician of Bhakkar district and a member of the National Assembly, almost destroying his home and shaking the entire area sending his panicked neighbours and shopkeepers scurrying for safety.
Decision will be taken in second democratic transition of power in the nation's 70-year chequered history.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday asked President Pervez Musharraf to address a joint sitting of the parliament as it is mandatory for him to do so under the constitution.
Zubaida Jalal, a former minister in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's cabinet, was defeated in Monday's parliamentary polls, television channels reported.
'If I am elected president, one of my highest priorities will be to support the prime minister, the National assembly and the senate to amend the constitution to bring back into balance the powers of the presidency and thereby reduce its ability to bring down democratic governance,' Zardari said in an Op-Ed piece in The Washington Post.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left for New Delhi from Johannesburg on Thursday after the conclusion of his two-nation five-day tour of Africa. During his tour, Singh attended the second India-Brazil-South Africa Summit in Pretoria and also addressed the joint session of the National Assembly in Nigeria.
"No impeachment or no chargesheet can stand against me... But I think this is not the time for individual bravado. This is the time for serious thought. In the interest of the country, I have decided to resign. The resignation will reach the National Assembly speaker shortly," the 65-year-old former army chief said in an emotional internationally televised address.
Senior leaders of Pakistan's ruling coalition partners the Pakistan's People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz -- will resume talks for the fourth day in Dubai on Thursday, about finalising a deal to reinstate deposed judges, while insisting that there is no threat to the government. "We have made progress during seven hours of marathon meetings, but there are still differences on certain legal issues," PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar said.
Journalists all over the country marched with black flags to protest against the tear-gas and baton charge on media persons covering the protests before the Election Commission on Saturday during the scrutiny of nominations for presidential poll.
'The army has been open about its determination to keep the PML-Nawaz out of power at all costs.' 'Both the military and the higher judiciary have indicated a preference for Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf,' says Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan Desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Trump's poll-defying win has sparked a wave of similar rallies across the country.
Faced with the Sunday deadline, the Pakistan People's Party on Friday said that it would announce the name of the new prime minister this weekend. However, senior party leaders continued to wrestle with differences on the issue over a month after the parliamentary polls.Differences in the PPP on who should lead the coalition government continued with vice chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, once a frontrunner for the post, saying he had suggested a formula to Zardari.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday summoned Pakistan's parliament on March 24 to elect the new Prime Minister, though there was still no word from the Pakistan People's Party and its allies on their nominee for the top post.Musharraf received the official communique regarding the convening of the National Assembly to elect the leader of the House from the Prime Minister's Secretariat on Thursday morning.The President signed the summary.
Pakistan does not want a war with India but was "prepared" to defend itself if aggression is imposed on the country in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Monday. "We don't want to get involved in a war. I want to assure the House and the people that we do not want war, but if aggression is thrust on us, we will stand united as a proud nation," Gilani told the National assembly or lower house of parliament.
At a luncheon hosted by PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for newly elected Parliamentarians, leaders of the three parties said they would support each other to form the federal government and to change the establishment to ensure that the military no longer had a role in Pakistan's politics.
Pakistan's Election Commission on Monday issued the final list of five candidates for the October 6 presidential poll. The candidates include Pervez Musharraf, Mohammedmian Soomro, Wajihuddin Ahmed, Makhdoom Mohammad Amin Faheem, Faryal Talpur.
'The Modi government will be wasting its time talking to Nawaz Sharif.' 'It would be better if it were to open a direct channel with the Pakistan army,' says Rajeev Sharma.
The Pakistan People's Party on Tuesday nominated 51-year-old Mirza, a medical graduate, and Faisal Karim Kundi as its candidates for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker respectively of the Lower House of Parliament. The two candidates are expected to win as the Pakistan People's Party and its allies -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam -- have a majority in the National Assembly.
Three new victors -- the Pakistan People's Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Awami National Party have shown their majority many days ago, but President Pervez Musharraf is playing delaying games and using secret agencies to break the majority party PPP from the PML faction of Nawaz Sharif.
The PPP, PML-N and ANL together hold 225 out of the required 228 seats to gain a two-thirds majority, which would give the coalition the power to impeach President Musharraf and revoke presidential powers to dissolve the National Assembly.
Bugti, former chief minister of Balochistan and head of his tribe, was killed in 2006 in a military operation ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time.
Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif does not rule out the possibility of forming a national government, including representatives of rival PPP, even if his party wins the coming elections.
Pakistan has formed a high-level panel to probe the high treason case against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency rule in 2007, the government said on Thursday.
The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, led by former premier Jigmi Thinley, said to be popular among the elite and well educated, on Monday scored a landslide victory in the first elections in Bhutan that marks the end of absolute monarchy in this Himalayan Kingdom. DPT, several of whose candidates have been ministers under King Jigme Khesar Namgyel and have experience in the government, made a virtual clean sweep bagging 44 out of the total 47 seats in the National Assembly.
PM Modi to travel to Vietnam before going to China to attend G20 summit.
According to the schedule, candidates will have to file nomination papers from November 21 to 26, while the final list of candidates will be displayed on December 15.
The Pakistan prime minister will be from Pakistan People's Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz joint secretary Siddique-ul Farooq said on Friday.
Strategic expert B Raman on the post-poll scenario in Pakistan
Chandio Munir Ahmad is an activist of All Pakistan Trade Union Organisation. He has been a grassroots' worker for many years. He, like the overwhelming number of grassroots activists in Pakistan, is upset with the Indian government for giving tacit support to President Musharraf's regime and America's gameplan in the region.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he will not allow Pakistan to become a "sanctuary of terrorists" and asserted that the military operation against the Taliban in North Waziristan tribal region would continue until militants are eliminated.
PML-N chief and former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to contest the by-election from Lahore. He will contest a seat vacated by top PML-N leader Javed Hashmi, who won from three constituencies in the last general election. Sharif last contested the election in February 1997 from his Gawalmandi constituency in Lahore. He has won from the constituency five times consecutively.
Sharif is in London with his ailing wife Kulsoom, who is suffering from throat cancer and has undergone three surgeries so far.
The Panama verdict will decide how Pakistan handles its leadership problems.
Two South Korean government officials were handed suspended six-month prison sentences on Friday after they were found guilty of forging documents for southern city Gwangju's successful bid to host the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.
According to the Hindu Forum of Britain, the authorities, who were planning to slaughter the bull next week, have now delayed this action.
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