Political Turmoil In Pakistan

Al-Qaida Sees Opportunity In Pakistan's Flux

September 5, 2008 • Pervez Musharraf's resignation introduced uncertainty, and U.S. officials say al-Qaida is seeking to strengthen its presence in the country. Meanwhile, Pakistan looks likely to pick Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as its next president.

Presidency Bid By Bhutto's Widower Controversial

September 3, 2008 • Asif Ali Zardari spent more than a decade in Pakistani prisons on charges ranging from corruption to murder. Now, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is running for president.

Sharif Withdraws From Pakistan Ruling Coalition

August 25, 2008 • Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday pulled his party out of the ruling coalition. The main party in the coalition, the Pakistan People's Party, will have to scramble to hold the government together.

Zardari: Goal As President Would Be Full Democracy

August 23, 2008 • Asif Ali Zardari succeeded his late wife Benazir Bhutto as the head of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Now, he's in the running to become Pakistan's president, following the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.

Analysts Urge U.S. Policy Shift After Musharraf

August 18, 2008 • Pervez Musharraf's departure leaves the Bush administration without the man it once praised as an "indispensable" partner in the war against terrorism. Many analysts say it's time for the U.S. to adopt a Pakistan policy that's geared to the country and not to a single leader.

Musharraf Resignation Ends Nine-Year Reign

August 18, 2008 • The Bush administration loses an ally in its war on terrorism. Musharraf's own future is unclear; after surviving repeated assassination attempts as president, he may now have to go into exile for his own safety.

Search Is On For Pakistan's Next President

August 19, 2008 • Political leaders in Pakistan are looking for a new president. Pervez Musharraf stepped down Monday to avoid being impeached. The Bush administration — which saw Musharraf as an important ally — is watching the search for a replacement closely. On the streets of Pakistan's cities, though, reaction to his departure is mixed.

Has U.S. Relied Too Much On Musharraf?

August 19, 2008 • Pakistan's outgoing President Pervez Musharraf was a close U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaida. But critics say the Bush administration relied on him too much, and that he didn't do enough to rein in the Taliban. With Musharraf out, Pakistan is expected to concentrate on preventing extremism inside Pakistan rather than across the border.

Facing Impeachment, Pakistan's Musharraf Resigns

August 18, 2008 • Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a close ally of the U.S. in a volatile region, resigned Monday in a televised address amid impeachment charges he had vowed to fight. His allies at home were fast fading away, and he was under pressure at home and abroad to quit.

Pakistan's Embattled President Musharraf Resigns

August 18, 2008 • Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced Monday that he is resigning rather than face impeachment. Musharraf dominated Pakistan for years after seizing power in a 1999 military coup. Pakistani journalist Fasi Zaka says Musharraf's allies had been largely mum on whether they'd support him in fighting impeachment.

Militancy Spills Over Into Pakistan's Swat Valley

August 14, 2008 • Not long ago, visitors from far and wide flocked to the sumptuous Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan. But these days, Swat — once seen as the 'Switzerland of Asia' — stands on the front line of a conflict between the Taliban and the Pakistani government's security forces.

Pakistan Government Moves To Impeach Musharraf

August 8, 2008 • Pakistan's governing coalition says it is beginning proceedings to impeach President Pervez Musharraf. The move adds to pressure on Musharraf to resign, but there is no guarantee that the coalition can muster the votes needed for the impeachment to proceed.

Bush Meets With Pakistan's Leader

July 28, 2008 • President Bush has met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani. The two leaders' brief public remarks were cordial, but analysts say the private conversations most likely centered on the need for Pakistan to intensify the fight against extremists.

Hope in Pakistan Gives Way to Reality

June 18, 2008 • Two months after the Pakistani government was installed, the euphoria has vanished. The political elite are still arguing and the people on the streets have seen little improvement in their lives or the departure of President Pervez Musharraf.

Report on Pakistani Smugglers Fuels Nuke Worries

June 17, 2008 • A former U.N. arms inspector's report on a smuggling ring headed by A.Q. Khan, the former head scientist for Pakistan's nuclear program, says Khan and his partners obtained detailed designs for a sophisticated nuclear weapon in hopes of selling the plans — which may have been passed to Iran, North Korea or terrorist groups.

Pakistan's Reformers Urge Reseating Judges

June 13, 2008 • In Pakistan, lawyers and reformers have revived their campaign to reinstate the independent-minded judges that President Pervez Musharraf fired last year. The two main parties in the new legislative coalition do not agree on reinstating the judges. The two main parties in that coalition do not agree on reinstating the judges.

Study: Pakistan Aiding Militants on Afghan Border

June 12, 2008 • A new study on counter-insurgency in Afghanistan says Pakistan's government has been providing support for some militant groups on the Afghan border, and that the groups have used information about U.S. forces to their advantage.

Deadly Airstrike Strains U.S.-Pakistan Relations

June 12, 2008 • Pakistan is strongly protesting a U.S. airstrike that it says killed 11 soldiers at a border post. The men were part of the Frontier Corps serving on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The incident is straining an already tense relationship between the countries.

Pakistani Envoy: New Government Building Strength

June 10, 2008 • Protests calling for the reinstatement of judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf are the first major challenge to Pakistan's new coalition government. Pakistan's new ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, says there is consensus that the judiciary should be restored, but disagreement on how to do it.

Pakistani Lawyers Rally for Musharraf's Resignation

June 10, 2008 • Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, faces a new challenge to his authority. Thousands of lawyers and other activists are headed to the capital Islamabad for a rally this week. They will demand that Musharraf resign and bring back the judges he fired last year.

Musharraf Faces Political Crisis in Pakistan

June 4, 2007 • Gen. Pervez Musharraf, president and military ruler of Pakistan, faces his most serious political crisis since seizing power in a coup in 1999.

U.S. Worry Grows over Pakistan's Tribal Peace Deal

May 6, 2008 • The U.S. government is increasingly concerned about Pakistan's decision to negotiate a peace deal with militants in its tribal areas. The Bush administration cites Pakistan's previous agreements with militants that did not work and allowed al-Qaida and the Taliban to regroup.