Summary
Today, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, chairmen of Pakistan’s two largest parties agreed in principle to impeach President Pervez Musharraf. The agreement, however, is contingent on all coalition partners supporting the move. Just as there has been little-to-no “progress” on the reinstatement of the justices Musharraf sacked, it is just as unlikely that […]

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The Intel
Insider Brief sources report that Pakistani intelligence officials have recently been engaged in a spate of closed-door meetings. The topic of discussion? The ouster of Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from power and the engineered return of Nawaz Sharif.
The Why
The news in and of itself should not be […]

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As we had reported last week, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, the Chief of Army Staff, is looking to replace the present Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI), Maj. Gen. Nadeem Ejaz. Our sources now expect to see a new DGMI in place towards the end of this month. Potential candidates for the job post include (but […]

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A military helicopter went down in South Waziristan today. All eight on board were killed including Major General Javed Sultan, the recently promoted commanding officer of Kohat garrison as well as two brigadiers. The official explanation from Islamabad is that the crash was due to “technical reasons.”
However, sources report that the helicopter was […]

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THE ARMY ADVANCES …
Hot off its relative success in sweeping Swat of militants led by Maulana Fazlullah, sources report that the Pakistan Army has set its sights on Baitullah Mehsud, the purported mastermind behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
In addition to military action, sources also report that a major facet of the newfound campaign involves […]

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Around Christmas, sources had reported that Pakistani intelligence had indications that the violence afflicting the rest of the country — Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi — was making its way to Lahore.
Today, it did. A suicide bomber detonated himself amidst a 70-member police contingent, minutes before a weekly lawyer’s protest in front of the Lahore […]

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Pakistan is in the throes of chaos following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.  Scores of people have died and there has been a grave loss of property attributable to violence, fires and looting.  The situation, as it stands now, according to sources: 

The government does not intend on imposing martial law at this point in time. […]

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Benazir Bhutto, Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party and two-time Prime Minister, has been assassinated in a bombing in Ralwapindi.  In a sad twist of fate, the assassination took place at Liaquat Bagh — the park that marked the spot of the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan — Pakistan’s first prime minister.

Chaos and looting continue […]

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Reports are coming in of a suicide bombing at a rally being held by Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi. Benazir Bhutto and Sherry Rehman are in CRITICAL condition. The rear portion of Benazir Bhutto’s car, which was departing, underwent severe damage. Scores dead and wounded. Body parts litter Liaqat Bagh, where the […]

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As Pakistani military operations in Swat wrap up and displaced residents begin to return home, we would like to proudly present our readers with another Insider Brief exclusive — video footage of army operations in Swat. (Also make sure to check out our newly updated Multimedia section for other audio/video clips.)
Part I: AH1 Cobra Attack […]

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We’d like to thank all our readers for making this blog as successful as it is. Your readership and support has earned the Insider Brief exposure and recognition in multiple venues -
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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Casuistic Crisis
The world is fixated on the “crisis” in Pakistan spawned by Pres. Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule. The media is bombarding us with news that the regime is unstable, the nation is “plunging into chaos” and that the country’s nuclear weapons are at risk — frankly, nothing could be further from […]

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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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Editor’s Note: In a recent exchange with Gen. Aziz, I mentioned American willingness to throw financial and military resources at the US presence in Afghanistan to “finish the job.” Here’s his response.
“Finish the job,” you say. Hunt out Osama? Wrap up global terrorism?
Not long ago, you taught a set of values to […]

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