"It is in our best interest for there to be some stability. Right now Musharraf, despite some of the concerns we have about him, represents at least some level of security, more so than if he were ousted immediately," former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said.
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in US, Joseph Biden, has said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is "indirectly complicit" in the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in view of the kind of protection that was needed for her was never provided.
Bhutto's true Achilles heel was the military. A third time premiership would not have altered the equation. The military is so deeply entrenched in the country's economic and political life that no democratic entity in the country can survive a challenge from it. On both occasions in the past Benazir had been evicted from the prime minister's office by the machinations of the military.
"Are things in control now? Had things been in control, would this have happened," he asked, adding that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would have to give answers.
Terrorist groups, which were banned during the tenure of former President Pervez Musharraf, have again become active and reopened their offices in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.
While US officials believe much of the American money was not making its way to the frontline, Pakistani officials see it as American ingratitude for Pakistani counterterrorism efforts.
Musharraf was definitely in a position to become a real peace-maker with the help of Manmohan Singh and Benazir Bhutto in 2007 but he missed this golden chance. He missed 2007 because he created a political turmoil in Pakistan by attacking the judiciary. He also missed a chance to win the Nobel Peace Prize along with Manmohan Singh due to his self-righteousness. He has missed everything now
And while this extremist-linked press spins on relatively unmolested, the country's secular television stations and newspapers face consistent harassment by the government,
With pressure piling up on Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf, the former military ruler has decided in principle to quit and will announce his decision in this regard on the country's Independence Day on August 14, a media report has said.
Pakistan turned to China after the US refused it a civilian nuclear agreement.
Several members of the opposition PML-Q, which is aligned with Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf, have publicly urged the former military strongman to step down and some have even said they will vote in favour of an impeachment motion against him.
Stating that Pakistan can serve as a 'hub of economic activity' in the region by developing energy corridors, President Pervez Musharraf has offered to extend the proposed multi-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline to China.\n\n
India regards Pervez Musharraf as an "elected President" of Pakistan and a "credible interlocutor" with whom it will continue to do business, says National Security Adviser M K Narayanan.
Pakistan's Army is to ask the country's embattled President Pervez Musharraf to relinquish office in a week's time as its top brass would not want him to be impeached, a news report said on Saturday.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday finalised the order to revoke emergency on December 15, prior to which the Constitution will be amended to ensure that the decisions he has taken since November 3 are not questioned in courts.
A large cache of ammunition and weapons was seized from the terrorists who had planned to blow up an entire bridge on Drig Road, which Musharraf's convoy was to cross while coming from the airport to Shahrah-e-Faisal, sources told Online news agency.
Justice Chaudhry had insisted that Justice Das be made the Acting Chief Justice.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher announced the assistance after holding talks with Musharraf.
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said that the time has come for a "final" parleys with the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) over the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf and restoration of judges deposed during last year's emergency.
Recently, Justice Choudhury has taken up several human rights cases including initiating proceedings in cases involving enforced disappearances, the watchdog noted.
The United States has welcomed President Pervez Musharraf's decision to lift emergency rule on December 16, calling it a positive and significant step to steer Pakistan back towards democracy. "It's a positive and significant step. We look forward to the elections taking place in early January," US State department spokesman Sean McCormack said in his briefing.
Addressing the nation on television after being sworn-in for a second presidential term, Musharraf told political parties not to talk of boycotting elections but to actively participate in the process.
The presidential oath was administered by Pakistan's Chief Justice Abdhul Hammed Dogar. Interestingly, Musharraf took the oath of office under the Pakistani constitution and not under emergency regulations.
Bush said Musharaf's taking off his uniform and stepping down as Pakistan's army chief was a strong first step toward democracy in that country.
Observers from 20 other countries are taking part in the exercise with the nine other countries participating with ships, aviation fleets and gunships.
President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday handed over charge of the Pakistan army to General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani.
The action came after Justice Choudhary was called for discussions by Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and confronted with the charges in answer to which he could not give any satisfactory reply.
At a hearing on Afghanistan at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Bill Nelson asked, "Does the US have to have the approval of the Pakistani government in hot pursuit across the border?"
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday dismissed major legal challenges to President Pervez Musharraf's re-election even as the general reportedly made plans to visit Saudi Arabia for talks with its ruler on the possible return of former premier Nawaz Sharif.
'It is very troublesome. It is a precarious situation. Musharraf is not a wonderful leader. He has done a lot of bad things. There is a dangerous radical element within Pakistan. I think there is a smart path for America on this, understanding how volatile the situation is,' Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said on CNN's Late Edition programme.
During his visit, Musharraf had assured that a peace deal he struck with tribal leaders will not diminish the hunt for the leaders of Al Qaeda and the Taliban or their training camps.
He said in a text message sent to his lawyer in London before his arrest, that his life was at risk due to the British government's failure to prosecute Musharraf's key London-based ally.
Bhutto had been handed down a seven-day detention order on November 13 at the residence of a Pakistan People's Party leader in Lahore to prevent her from leading a 'long march' to Islamabad against the emergency. Jahangir, the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was put under house arrest in her residence in Lahore shortly after President Pervez Musharraf proclaimed the emergency on November 3.
Amid deepening political crisis, embattled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was on Thursday huddled with his key aides in cobbling up a caretaker government ahead of the general election as police and anti- emergency demonstrators traded fire in Karachi leaving two children dead.
'It was a step backward for Pakistan's democratic transition and democratic process. And that is one that ultimately would carry consequences, will carry consequences, and does carry consequences for our relationship,' State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey asserted.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday announced that general elections will be held by January 9 and a caretaker government will be in place by November 15 to oversee the process. Musharraf also vowed to take the oath of office for another term as a civilian President, hanging up his military uniform after the Supreme Court gives its verdict on his October 6 Presidential victory.
Pervez Musharraf's lawyers on Wednesday said the Pakistani Taliban had threatened them with beheading if they continued to represent the former military dictator and called for a change in the venue of his high-profile treason trial.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday that general elections will be held by February 15.
New Delhi refused the visa as it wanted to avoid a situation where questions could have been raised over allowing a person, who has directly helped militancy, to visit India. Malik had alleged that Rashid had hosted scores of Kashmiri militants at his residence.
Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has cast doubts on President Pervez Musharraf's ability to prevent extremists from getting hold of the country's nuclear arsenal. "General Musharraf says that he is in firm control of the nuclear arsenal and the army is a very disciplined army but we have been facing chaos, growing chaos for some time," the former Pakistan prime minister said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances