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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 rally was held. Many [...]

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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 [...]

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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. [...]

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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: there’s [...]

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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 not significantly alter [...]

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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 these [...]

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Tonight, I have the pleasure of introducing the Insider Brief’s very first guest: Lieutenant General Shahid Aziz. A retired general of the Pakistan Army, he has had an extraordinary military career that gave him a front row seat to some of Pakistan’s most pivotal events over the past decade, culminating in his role as Lahore [...]

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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 may [...]

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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 has been [...]

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The blasts in Karachi have left the people of Pakistan shocked and horrified while the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies scramble to find those responsible. As investigations continue, major questions remain unanswered. WHAT WE DO KNOW The tactics and means involved in the attack make us believe with near certainty that they were carried [...]

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