Pakistani politics (catch all)

[SWJED]

16 May Washington Post - Suicide Bombing Kills 25 in Pakistan by Griff Witte and Kamran Khan.

A suicide bomber detonated his charge inside a crowded restaurant during the lunch hour here on Tuesday, killing 25 people and adding to a string of violent episodes that have badly shaken the government of President Pervez Musharraf.

In just four days, Pakistan has been the scene of urban rioting that killed 40, a border clash with Afghanistan, the death of a U.S. soldier and the suspected assassination of a top official at the Supreme Court.

Although not all of the incidents have been related, they have underscored the diverse challenges to Musharraf's authority. As Islamic militants have carried out attacks aimed at undermining his rule, pro-democracy advocates have taken to the streets to condemn what they see as authoritarian tactics. Calls for the president's resignation have grown louder, and there is open talk that the country could descend into broader civil disorder...

[goesh]

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archi...23/200392.aspx

Radical Clerics Challenge Pakistan

[tequila]

Alternatives to Musharraf - Washington Post, 21 May.

U.S. policy toward Pakistan since September 11, 2001 has made its president, General Pervez Musharraf, indispensable. This is unfortunate -- and leaves us unprepared for rapid political change in a complex, nuclear-armed state of 165 million people.

Our business-as-usual approach has run up against a dynamic situation in Pakistan. The protests inspired by Musharraf's sidelining of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry have turned violent, dissatisfaction with Pakistan's government and its legacy of official impunity is growing, and social, economic and regional divisions are not being addressed.

Rumors abound that Musharraf will declare martial law and suspend elections scheduled for the fall, or that he is negotiating a power-sharing arrangement with Benazir Bhutto and her Pakistan People's Party. Military leaders in Pakistan, however, have a limited shelf life, and the U.S. government should be prepared for an unexpected transition ...