In an interview with BBC Urdu, the South Waziristan neo-Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud says that the assortment of militant groups in Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies and neighboring Malakand region of the NWFP (including Swat) have united under a new umbrella named the “Taliban Movement of Pakistan” (TMP) or Tehreek-e Taliban-e Pakistan. The movement is led [...]

Pakistan is again the focus of The Atlantic Monthly in its regularly surveying of American foreign policy experts. It asked 41 foreign policy authorities: Should the United States unilaterally go after al-Qaeda leaders and training camps in Pakistan? Results: 50% Yes; 50% No How likely is a U.S. incursion into the tribal areas in the [...]

November 6: Earliest date for Supreme Court ruling on Pervez Musharraf’s re-election eligibility November 7: Possible date for Nawaz Sharif departure of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for London November 8: Benazir Bhutto expected to return to Pakistan from Dubai November 8: Supreme Court to receive report from Sindh government on Bhutto blasts November 9: Bhutto to [...]

ھر قدم فتنہ کے جانب؟ Pakistan’s security crises resemble the Whac-A-Mole game regularly found in amusement parks and fairs. The central government bashes — or at least attempts to — the head of insurgents in one area, only to find “miscreants” popping up elsewhere. The cycle continues with repeat offenders. Crises aren’t resolved — just [...]

Developments in Pakistan in recent days further the view for both insiders and outsiders that the country is a perplexing bowl of contradictions and political intrigue. KSE RISES The Karachi Stock Exchange closed at all-time highs on Monday and Tuesday. Investor confidence boosted due to Pervez Musharraf’s re-election as president (pending the validation of his [...]