Word: musharraf
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...Both blasts were within a mile of the Pakistani Military Headquarters, where President General Pervez Musharraf lives. One took place at a busy intersection just outside a military housing playing field, the other in a small civilian market across the street from an army depot. These attacks highlight growing instability in Pakistan, just as Musharraf prepares for a highly contested presidential election that could see the end of the military leader's eight-year tenure heading the country...
...Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reportedly talked Musharraf out of declaring martial law two weeks ago. But government insiders say it remains a possibility, despite the fact that such a move would alienate Musharraf from his U.S. backers and unite his moderate and extremist opponents against him. One factor he might have to consider if he does take such a drastic step: the views of his fellow servicemen, many of whom seem to be coming to the conclusion that, for their own sake, an elected civilian government is preferable to the current regime...
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, a former petroleum minister and close adviser to Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister Musharraf overthrew in 1999, tells TIME that discontent within the army is growing. Khan comes from a family of military men - his grandfather was in the army, his father was a brigadier general, his brother was a lieutenant general and he has cousins and nephews who are still serving - who tell him, he says, of "the deep simmering dissatisfaction over how the army is being used for political means." Soldiers have been told not to wear their uniforms on the street, and many...
...unlikely as it might have seemed a few months back, this is now Musharraf's best shot. There are dangers in this strategy, not least the role of the Supreme Court, which could still stop Musharraf from running again or hinder Bhutto's return from self-imposed exile, or both. There's also the fact that Bhutto's popularity has taken a hit since talk of a tie-up with Musharraf broke, while last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the exiled Nawaz Sharif could return to Pakistan to oppose Musharraf's bid for another term...
...Pakistani official told newspapers Monday that Musharraf has sent representatives to London this week to discuss a power-sharing pact with Bhutto. A decision is expected within days. Washington is encouraging such a deal in the hope that together Musharraf and Bhutto can capture Pakistan's moderate middle and help save the country from extremists. This reasoning overlooks the fact that Musharraf has helped fuel many of the problems that his country now faces - but the sense of urgency is almost palpable. When a group of opposition politicians, human rights activists and journalists met in Islamabad on the last Friday...