Editor’s Note: Ali Madison is the pseudonym of a leading Pakistani thinker and insider with ties to both the establishment and opposition. With an illustrious career and a number of books to his credit, Ali presents us with his thoughts on President Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto in the context of the [...]

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The News: Reuters
With Gen. Ashfaq Kayani’s ascendancy to the role of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Reuters published an article on Nov. 28th [...]

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President Pervez Musharraf has been sworn in for another 5-year term as president of Pakistan — out of uniform. Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has taken command of Pakistan’s all-powerful army. Emergency rule is to end on December 16th. Elections will be held on January 8th. Anti-insurgency operations continue full swing in Swat.
In short: [...]

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Our sources are now reporting that Nawaz Sharif could return to Pakistan as early as this Saturday or Sunday. Upon landing in Pakistan, he is scheduled to head directly to his home in Lahore or his massive 50-acre estate in Raiwind. He is apparently under strict orders by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to [...]

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Apologies to all IB readers for my undue absence this week. A host of commitments, primarily work, have kept me away. I’ve also found that much of what’s been creating a buzz in the media hasn’t been that signficant in terms of impact (e.g. Imran Khan’s arrest). Most events, though interesting, will [...]

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President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s gamble appears to be paying off. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry stands sidelined along with some of his recalcitrant colleagues, much of the fractured opposition is either detained or under arrest, and protests have been manageable. Though Benazir Bhutto appears to have entered the fray (now under house arrest), her actions [...]

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Earlier tonight, I had the privilege of appearing on the John Batchelor Show to discuss the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan and its repercussions. You can listen to my conversation with John by using the player below.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
(Download file)
John’s show appears on Sundays, WABC 770AM in New York [...]

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The dust is settling after President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, in his capacity as Chief of Army Staff, placed the country in a state of emergency. Many are calling it a “State of Emergency (Plus)” or “Martial Law (Lite)” — this is just semantics — the fact of the matter is that the constitution [...]

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Pakistan is now officially in a state of emergency, under a proclamation issued by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. A Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) has been issued as well by Musharraf in his capacity as COAS — not President. This is similar to October 1999 when Musharraf launched his “counter-coup” [...]

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An announcement regarding the government’s decision to declare a state of emergency is expected soon.
Yesterday, sources of mine were reporting that the declaration of a state of emergency of Pakistan was imminent — some were saying that the decision had been made as early 3 days ago. This would fall in line with what [...]

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