Topic: Pakistani Politics

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Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points

While Pakistani and Afghan insurgents often get labeled as the 'Taliban,' in reality there are several groups that often act independently and have distinct command structures, ideologies, and strategies.
Afghanistan: 5 areas of concern after the US leaves

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan will have profound, direct effects on the country's security, economy, and society. Here are five areas that are likely to see an impact.
6 signs of hope in Pakistan

The American imagination can run wild amid Pakistan’s political uncertainties and instability. But any pessimistic view of Pakistan, while endemic in the West, differs considerably from the perspective of Pakistani analysts who cautiously point to more optimistic scenarios. They cite six hopeful developments.
Possible coup in Pakistan? 4 key questions

Pakistan’s government is facing a period of prolonged uncertainty about its future, four years after the country returned to democratic rule. Here are four key questions to explain the issues.
Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Change Agents

They are explorers and activists, artists and educators, farmers and faith leaders – even mayors. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world.

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Pakistan jails CIA informant: US Senate panel votes to cut aid to Pakistan

A Senate committee voted on Thursday to cut Pakistan aid by $33 million – one million dollars for each year of a 33-year sentence Pakistan gave a doctor for helping the CIA track down Osama bin Laden.
Senate committee cuts Pakistan aid over doctor's conviction

After a Pakistani court sentenced the doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden to 33 years for treason, a US Senate panel voted Thursday to cut aid to Pakistan by $33 million.
Terrorism & Security
Pakistan to US: Respect our decision to sentence CIA informant

After a Pakistani doctor was sentenced to 33 years in prison on treason charges for helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden, the US protested, saying he was acting against Al Qaeda, not Pakistan.   
Terrorism & Security
US drone strike in Pakistan highlights divergent interests of US, Pakistan

An end to the US drone campaign has been a key demand of Pakistan in exchange for reopening NATO supply routes, highlighting the differences the US and Pakistan have to overcome.
Pakistani official: Position to soften on NATO supply line

An assistant to the Prime Minister says the country will show flexibility on the issue after NATO clearly expressed its displeasure in Chicago.
NATO to shed combat command in Afghanistan by mid-2013 (+video)

NATO leaders on Monday approved a plan, promoted by the US, to shift the command of combat operations to Afghan forces by next summer. It's NATO's latest step in the transition out of a fighting role in the war.
US to Pakistan: reopen supply route and we can leave Afghanistan faster

The US and Pakistan have been unsuccessfully negotiating on reopening Pakistan’s border to NATO supply convoys for the Afghanistan campaign. The issue has been contentious at the NATO summit in Chicago.
Why Pakistan still hasn't reopened NATO supply lines

The government of Pakistan is facing domestic political pressure to keep NATO's supply routes to Afghanistan closed, while the US resists apologizing or paying a high per truck fee.
Pakistan bans Twitter, citing blasphemous content

Activists see the government's claims of blasphemy as a convenient excuse to rein in free-wheeling conversations on the social media site ahead of elections.
Keep Calm
Pakistan pushback: US is 'shifting blame' for Afghan insurgency

In India, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Pakistan to do more in taking on radical Islamist groups, including handing over Hafiz Saeed, thought to have had a role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Terrorism & Security
Taliban suicide bombing in northwestern Pakistan kills at least 19

The attack targeted members of a local security force that had helped kill or otherwise diminish the Taliban's power in the Bajaur district of Pakistan.
Bin Laden raid one year later: Pakistan's Army untouched

The US Navy SEAL operation that killed Osama bin Laden last May threw the Pakistan Army into international disrepute. But in Pakistan, the Army has rebounded.
For Pakistanis, bin Laden death anniversary sparks ... nothing (+video)

Polls show that Pakistanis are ambivalent about the Al Qaeda leader, and view his death as a foreign issue. Religious parties, however, may use anti-US sentiment in upcoming elections.
Osama bin Laden's family deported to Saudi Arabia. Case closed?

Osama bin Ladens three wives and 11 children left Pakistan early Friday, closing an awkward chapter for Pakistan, but leaving unanswered questions about complicity of Pakistani state.
Pakistan's top court convicts prime minister

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's conviction is triggering turmoil in a government already struggling with major economic and security challenges amid tense US relations.
Aid to Pakistan: $2.6 billion spent, little ability to show it

Anti-US sentiments and foreign policy squabbles are thwarting good US public relations from reaching turbulent, poor border regions of Pakistan.
How a glacier could thaw dangerous India and Pakistan freeze

Following a deadly avalanche in the disputed Siachen Glacier area, India and Pakistan have signaled openness to talks. A priority must be to demilitarize 'the world's highest battle ground' at Siachen, which incurs substantial economic and human costs for these two nuclear rivals.
Keep Calm
Ritual Aggression: India and Pakistan's missile tests, following peace talks (+video)

Pakistan and India test ballistic missiles to demonstrate military might. But these tests have become separate from politics, in which both countries appear to be developing closer ties.
Afghanistan attacks: Were signs of improved US-Pakistan ties just a mirage?

Despite optimism relations were rebounding, the attacks bore the signature of a Pakistan-based group, a reminder, as the US plans to exit Afghanistan, that Pakistan is at best a fickle partner.
Taliban storm Pakistani prison: nearly 400 freed

Taliban militants armed with grenades battled their way into a prison in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, freeing close to 400 prisoners, including about 20 described by police as 'very dangerous.'
Pakistan's president visits India, but distrust runs deep (+video)

Pakistani President Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Singh discuss Siachen Glacier and Sir Creek, two border disputes kept alive by lack of trust.
Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points

While Pakistani and Afghan insurgents often get labeled as the 'Taliban,' in reality there are several groups that often act independently and have distinct command structures, ideologies, and strategies.
Afghanistan: 5 areas of concern after the US leaves

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan will have profound, direct effects on the country's security, economy, and society. Here are five areas that are likely to see an impact.
Osama bin Laden widows: Will they reveal more about life in Pakistan?

Osama bin Laden widows: During her interrogation, the Yemeni widow raised questions about how bin Laden was able to remain undetected in Pakistan. A Pakistan court ruled Monday that Bin Laden's three widows and their children will be deported to their home countries.
Osama bin Laden widow: Two bin Laden children born in Pakistan hospital

Osama bin Laden fathered four children while he was a fugitive in five locations in Pakistan. Two of bin Laden's children were born in Pakistan government hospitals. Did Pakistan officials know where bin Laden was hiding?