The reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftkhar Muhammad Chaudhry yesterday brought an end to the government’s imposition of emergency rule over much of the nation and turned massive protests into celebrations in short order. But what Pakistani officials have been trumpeting as cooler heads prevailing may in fact have been brought about by military chief General [...]
As has been the case virtually every day recently, Pakistanis were out on the streets in force today. Yet the tenor of today’s gatherings were considerably different – where the previous rallies protested the Zardari government’s crackdowns and were met with fierce police resistance, today they were celebrating across the nation the restoration of ousted [...]
Last Updated 3/15/09 11:25 PM EST
Iftkhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Pakistan’s 20th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was unconditionally restored to power during an address by Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani early Wednesday morning. Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has called off the long march after talking with other opposition party heads. He congratulated the protesters on [...]
The Pakistani government has erected barriers across all entry points into the capital city of Islamabad as well as its twin city of Rawalpindi, in an attempt to prevent protesters from marching into the capital for their planned sit-in. Vehicles entering the cities are subject to search by police and the long lines are delaying [...]
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari lashed out at the hundreds of thousands of people taking part in the Long March protests across the nation, saying they were behaving in a manner contrary to “democratic norms” in taking to the streets to protest the decisions of the government. “In democracy issues are resolved by sitting together,” [...]
The international community is expressing considerable disquiet as the Pakistani government continues its crackdown against the growing protest movement. There has been some indication, however, that the Zardari Administration is offering a deal to end the protests. Reportedly the latest offer was to restore the Sharif brothers’ ability to hold offices and to return control [...]
GEO News, the most popular television news network in Pakistan, was ordered blocked today by government regulators. Officials have yet to comment on the exact reason for the blocking, but most see it as retaliation for its harsh criticism of the actions of the government during the crackdown against opposition figures in recent days.
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Aides to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari say they are making progress toward a resolution of the political crisis which has lead to the imposition of emergency rule across much of the nation and has brought hundreds of thousands into the streets to protest. Though the opposition would not comment the aides say the deal [...]
Police have been out in force across Pakistan, arresting people involved in the Long March, a week-long protest rally across the nation which began today under threats of retaliation by government figures. Hundreds of thousands of lawyers are expected to take part in the march, along with untold numbers of opposition figures and average citizens [...]
The Long March began today in the cities of Karachi and Quetta, and already the government is out in force to disrupt the protest. Police attacked lawyers and political activists at Toll Plaza in Karachi, arresting several high ranking leaders of opposition parties and arresting the President of the High Court Bar of Sindh Province, [...]
