A single-judge bench of the Sindh high court gave the verdict in response to a review petition filed by the PPP leader's lawyer. The court acquitted Pakistan's former high commissioner to Britain Wajid Shasmul Hassan who was also an accused in the case.
A week before Pakistanis vote in the parliamentary elections, the "vast majority" -- 75 percent -- want President Pervez Musharraf to leave office, with his approval rating touching a new low of 15 per cent, the Washington Post reported.
In another strong indication how difficult it would be for the former military ruler to cling on to power, the poll found that the two main opposition parties -- the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) -- had a combined backing of an overwhelming 72 per cent.
Speaking to a television channel over phone from Saudi Arabia, he said, "If Benazir abandons her negotiations with Musharraf, we can work together and launch a joint struggle."
Pakistan's ruling coalition on Monday appeared to be on the verge of a split after the PPP failed to reach an agreement with its key ally PML-N on the contentious issue of reinstating dozens of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during last year's emergency. Three days of talks in London between Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and their close aides ended in deadlock on Sunday due to differences on the modalities fo
Undeterred by the government's ban on public meetings under emergency rule, former premier Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People's Party on Wednesday vowed to go ahead with a planned rally in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday.
''In terms of the investigation itself by Scotland Yard, we view this as a credible investigation by independent, outside experts,'' State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. ''We don't have any reason why we would question the validity of their assessment,'' he added.
Zardari explained to journalists who met him in Bhutto's ancestral village of Naudero that he, like the Congress President, wanted to take a back seat and let the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leadership decide things.
Boucher said the Bush administration was satisfied with investigations carried out by Pakistani authorities along with the Scotland Yard.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf held a detailed meeting with co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party Asif Ali Zardari and reportedly sought unanimity of views on host of issues.
Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto is eyeing several key posts in the proposed interim set up to conduct general elections in the country.
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has asked the Pakistan government to seek foreign help in probing last week's bomb blasts in Karachi that killed at least 165 people. Moreover, Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party has alleged that there was a deliberate act of sabotage to facilitate the attack.
Addressing a press conference in Dubai, Bhutto said Pakistan's people are "extremely repressed" now and "no power on earth" would prevent her from going back to work for their empowerment.
Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is planning to attack Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry again with the active support of Benazir Bhutto and covert support of the United States. High level meetings are going on in Islamabad in the last two days to chalk out a new strategy against Justice Chaudhry who is becoming a real threat to the Musharraf-Benazir understanding by puncturing the presidential ordinance through which PPP leaders were granted amnesty.
Zardari also said that though President Pervez Musharraf had a role to play in the new set-up, the Pakistan People's Party would think about impeaching him when the ruling coalition achieves a two-thirds majority in parliament. The PPP co-chairman refused to give a firm commitment that he would become the prime minister but said he would assume the office if the need arises. Zardari had last month nominated Yousuf Raza Gillani for the post of premier.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has no plans to visit slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's ancestral village to offer condolence to her family, but her party has said he would not be welcome even if he were to come.
Amid tight security, 19 year-old Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday returned to his alma mater Oxford, days after appealing to the media to respect his privacy so that he can continue his studies.
Though she is not willing to vote for the President even if all cases against her are withdrawn, she has indicated that she would covertly support the reelection by asking her party to abstain at the time of voting, sources said.
All the behind the scenes drama and the between the lines intrigue from Pakistan, a day before the presidential poll.
"Why would I be informing her about all these intelligence reports that we have against her, the threat to her? Why would I be doing that? I can't prove it legally, I can't prove my innocence legally. But I can prove it only through what I stand for as a person," he said.
A Hindu temple and a dharmashala have been set on fire by a frenzied mob in Pakistan's southern Sindh province over alleged desecration of a holy book, marring Holi celebrations and prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area.
Addressing a crowded press conference, Bilawal, flanked by Zardari and Fahim, said that he would continue the struggle to restore democracy in Pakistan with as much vigour as his mother desired. Now that he was the leader, PPP's "long and historic struggle for democracy will continue with new vigour," Bilawal said, adding, "My mother always said that democracy is the best revenge".
No one was injured in the pre-dawn blast damaged the building in Yakatoot area of Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province.
Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that the office of President of Pakistan was the 'right' of his party and the Sindh province. He added that a dedicated worker of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's party would soon be installed at the post.''I know it very well that there are some remnants of dictatorship, who want to destabilise the coalition government,'' he said without naming President Pervez Musharraf and his political allies.
Clad in a black traditional sherwani, Gillani, the country's 25th prime minister and the first premier from the Pakistan People's Party who is not a member of the Bhutto family, was administered the oath by Musharraf in the central hall of the Aiwan-e-Sadr or presidency in Islamabad. The ceremony was delayed by almost an hour as Gillani had gone to Karachi on Monday to attend the wedding of his son and had to rush back to the federal capital on Tuesday.
Pakistan People's Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has categorically said that Yousuf Raza Gilani will be the country's new prime minister for five years and not for three months. Zardari said that he himself is not interested in the job, as is being implied. Local daily The News quoted him as saying that Gilani slept in Adiyala jail without any proper bed for three months but he never contacted his powerful friends and influential relatives for help.
Bhutto's return after the Presidential election, expected to take place before October 15, adds to the political turmoil in Pakistan.
The PML-N, which is set to form a coalition government in Pakistan with the PPP, on Monday said it is opposed to senior PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim being made the prime minister because of his apparent proximity to the military regime. Senior PML-N leader Khwaja Muhammad Asif said his party has "serious objections" to Fahim being made the prime minister.
Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto has won British and American support for her efforts to enter into a power-sharing 'deal' with President Pervez Musharraf before the forthcoming general elections.
India and Pakistan could set aside the Kashmir issue to be resolved by a future generation while they focus on trade and economic ties to improve bilateral relations, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said.
Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Sunday filed her nomination for the January 8 general elections while her arch rival and Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif, who returned from seven years in exile, will file his papers on Monday.
The Pakistan prime minister will be from Pakistan People's Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz joint secretary Siddique-ul Farooq said on Friday.
'Against the backdrop of difficult administrative, political and economic problems, Imran's temperament and staying power will be the subject of intense expectation and public scrutiny,' says Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan Desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
One of India's most seasoned diplomats on Pakistan, who has had extensive and deep interaction with the Pakistani elite, told rediff.com, "Americans are likely to encourage a deal between the PPP and Musharraf. But we will have to wait and watch."
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.
A single party will need at least 137 of the directly elected seats to be able to form the government on its own.
Benazir said an interim government must be set up by taking all parties into confidence. The former prime minister said the government had discussed setting up an interim political arrangement with her, but the issue of the caretaker prime minister was yet to be discussed, the Daily Times reported.
Asked if he would agree to a power-sharing deal with Musharraf, Zardari told a magazine: "It's too early and our wounds are too deep to think of having any working relationship with the ruling party or President Pervez Musharraf."
A senior police official probing the suicide attack on former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto's convoy in Karachi has been removed in the wake of objections raised by her Pakistan People's Party. DIG (Investigation) Manzoor Mughal, who was heading the probe, has applied for leave and will no longer be handling the probe, Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said.
Talks between aides of President Pervez Musharraf and former premier Benazir Bhutto on forming a caretaker set-up to supervise Pakistan's general elections have been stopped by the government till the Supreme Court decides on the military ruler's re-election in uniform.
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