'Shock, confusion, and paralysis reigned.' 'Pakistan was caught in a most embarrassing situation. It could neither claim credit for the operation nor admit to a dismal intelligence failure and lack of army preparedness.'
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.
Pakistan Muslim League, a key partner in Pakistan's ruling coalition on Tuesday withdrew 17 of its ministers from the federal cabinet, saying the Pakistan People's Party-led government had failed to honour its commitments and to resolve the problems of the people.
Fifteen lawmakers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, a key ally of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, were on Monday included in new Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's council of ministers.
As part of the PML-N and PPP alliance, Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif, is expected to become Pakistan's next prime minister.
Hamza was re-elected to the post by just three votes amidst high drama.
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Saturday allowed Hamza Shehbaz to remain as the 'trustee' Punjab province chief minister till hearing resumes on Monday, but barred him from using his powers for 'political gains' during this period.
The ceremony was scheduled to be held on Monday, but President Alvi had refused to administer the oath to the lawmakers, compelling the government to postpone it.
Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, on Monday, became the first-ever woman chief minister of a province in Pakistan when she was elected to head the Punjab province, describing it as an 'honour' for every woman in the country.
Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif, is expected to become Pakistan's new prime minister as the coalition of leading political parties led by them is set to comfortably cross the simple majority mark to form the next government after elections produced a split mandate.
The result is a big blow to the military establishment, revealing the limits of 'political engineering'. It reflected the anger of the electorate, especially its younger voters, who have spoken decisively against the persistent harassment and victimisation of Imran Khan's political party, asserts Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
As clamours for his resignation mounted with withdrawal of support from his key ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan's beleaguered Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday reached out to the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam in desperate attempts to shore up his government.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari overcame pressure and enticement from President Pervez Musharraf's camp and the United States to not align with former premier Nawaz Sharif's party, to form a coalition government with the PML-N, a media report said on Friday.
Umar Mushtaq dissects the prospects of the pro-Musharraf party and says even if it wins the January elections, it will only have a razor thin majority.
Pakistan Muslim League - Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has emerged as a mediator between Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani after differences between Pakistan's civilian government and the powerful military seemed to reach at point of no return. Hussain, who served as prime minister during Pervez Musharraf's reign, is considered to be close to the security establishment and is known for his links with the armyThe lead
As many as 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-member House while members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were absent during the voting.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a top leader of the ruling PPP's key ally PML-Q, has been appointed as Pakistan's deputy prime minister.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 15 of 20 seats up for grabs in the politically crucial province of Punjab on Sunday, dealing a major blow to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his 13-party alliance led by the ruling PML-N.
Bugti announced that he would support the Opposition in the wake of the no-confidence motion submitted against Imran Khan. Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf set to face a no-trust motion in the National Assembly.
Amid the demand for the trial of Pervez Musharraf for treason by the opposition PML-N, the former president will participate in Pakistan's politics after November 30 when a two-year constitutional bar on him holding public office ends, one of his close aides has said.
With influential cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri descending on Islamabad with swarms of his supporters, Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday lobbied with top political leaders, including Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, to uphold the democratic system.
Fifteen people, including a parliamentarian, were injured when a bomb went off at a mosque in the restive Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan on Friday, police said.
Pakistan's main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has swept the country's last by-polls ahead of next year's general election, winning seven out of eight provincial and national assembly seats that went to the polls in Punjab province.
Pakistan's new Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf retained most key members of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani's cabinet in the same positions as he allocated portfolios among his council of ministers.
Two persons were killed and property worth millions of rupees was damaged as violent protests against prolonged power outages spread across Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab, officials said on Tuesday.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said the option of an early general election "is open" but political elements wanting polls ahead of schedule would have to take up the issue with him after the budget session of Parliament in May.
A suicide bomber on Monday blew himself up near the venue of a political rally at Battagram in northwest Pakistan, killing at least six persons and injuring 19 others. The bomber struck as workers of the PML-Q party, which is part of the ruling coalition at the Centre, were preparing for a rally to be addressed by senior party leader and former federal minister Amir Muqam. Witnesses said the bomber blew himself up near a group of policemen deployed to guard the rally.
Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, has invited former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh to Pakistan to launch his controversial new book on the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, saying it would be a step towards promoting intellectual and people-to-people understanding.
Zubaida Jalal, a former minister in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's cabinet, was defeated in Monday's parliamentary polls, television channels reported.
At least 13 people were killed in violent protests in various parts of the country that erupted after Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi on Friday evening.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf believes that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will part ways because of several insurmountable issues. However, Musharraf's main ally, the PML-Q, holds the opposite view.
The Pakistan People's Party is set to announce its candidate for prime minister later on Saturday even as the opposition withdrew their nominee for the post following a request from PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. Opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Friday decided to withdraw party leader Farooq Sattar as its joint candidate with ally PML-Q for sthe post of prime minister, paving the way for the PPP nominee to be elected unopposed.
Quoting a senior PML-Q official, the report said, "He's been sulking...He's retreated into a mental bunker, which is not healthy. He thinks everyone is out to get him and only listens to a small circle. It's a dangerous mindset to be in at this point in time. He could decide to hit back."
Pakistan's main opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan People's Party on Tuesday jointly mustered a simple majority in the new Parliament, local TVchannels said.
Police said the blast occurred near the venue of an election rally in Mingora, the headquarters of Swat district.
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's ruling PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is expected to meet his rival, Pakistan Muslim League-N president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's brother Shahbaz, in London to discuss modalities for the latter's return to the country ahead of the general election. Hussain is currently in London for a medical check-up but sources in his Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid party said he had been tasked with finalising the details for Shahbaz's return to Pakistan.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is seeking a new five-year term in uniform on Saturday in a key poll which the Opposition has threatened to boycott to rob the General's expected victory of any credibility.
The author says there was massive rigging in Pakistan polls despite a Musharraf loss
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said he is not planning to resign or retire despite his allies suffering a crushing defeat in the general election and asserted that he intends to stay in office to guide the democratic transition in the country.
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