Pakistan: The Latest

Things appear to be getting back to normal but political jitters have the Karachi Stock exchange sharply down for the third day as Pakistan delays elections til February 18. And hold the phone there, chief. Sharif's party will take part in elections? The boycott is off?

A reward for the identification of her killers is offered as the Pakistan Govt flip-flop-flips on assassination.
On a day of flip-flops, Pakistan government on Tuesday apologised for its claim that former premier Benazir Bhutto was not shot to death but hours later retracted it. Interior minister Hamid Nawaz Khan clarified that the government still stood by the "factual position" that Bhutto died of a skull fracture and not from a bullet wound. His remarks came hours after he was quoted by the media as urging people to "forgive and ignore" comments made by his ministry's spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema that Bhutto had struck her head on a metal lever on the sun-roof of her armoured Toyota Land Cruiser, resulting in a fatal skull fracture.

But Khan said his apology was only for some "crude words" that the spokesman had used and it had "no effect on the factual position" taken by the government. Asked by Dawn News channel if the interior ministry still believed Bhutto was not shot, Khan replied: "So far, that is the position...There is no change in the factual position," he said, adding the investigation into Bhutto's death "is going to take some time".

Benazir's hubby: Al Qaeda didn't kill Benazir. (I couldn't believe I was hearing this one speak about Al Qaeda - talk about pretzel moonbat logic! But he's right about one thing - in the war on terror AQ has nothing to fear in Pakistan because they've so thoroughly infiltrated both the government and security apparatus.)
...in an interview with The Guardian newspaper published on Tuesday, husband of slain leader Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, has rejected the government claims that Al Qaeda terrorists killed her. “Al Qaeda has nothing to fear; why would they fear us? Are they our political opponents?” he said.

No, her people did it...says former minister
Former chief minister Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said Benazir Bhutto assassination had occurred under a planning adding those deployed on her security were criminals and they might be involved in her killing. He said this while talking to the journalists here in Muslim League office after a meeting on Tuesday.

Foreign investigators to be allowed...but only as observers.
ISLAMABAD: President PML (Q), Chaudhry Shujaat has said that any foreign investigators were welcome as mere observers, while the assassination probe of Benazir Bhutto would strictly be carried out by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Pakistan says, UK, US, France offer help in Bhutto assasination probe. (I don't know it still sounds like a case of "Don't call us, we'll call you" to me...)
"These countries have been told that Pakistan would contact them for assistance if required," he said and added that Pakistan is committed to a thorough and transparent investigation into Benazir Bhutto's assassination and is open to receiving assistance from outside.

Doctors say they were pressured to keep silent on Bhutto.
"...doctors who were at Bhutto’s side at Rawalpindi General Hospital said they were under extreme pressure not to share details about the nature of the injuries that the opposition leader suffered in an attack here Dec. 27. “The government took all the medical records right after Ms. Bhutto’s time of death was read out,” said a visibly shaken doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Sweating and putting his head in his hands, he said: “Look, we have been told by the government to stop talking. And a lot of us feel this is a disgrace.”

Back at the Nukes... American, Pakistani officials reject report about US Special Squad Alert. (What special squad? See here.) Okay, so there's no special squad. But did the US retaliate with a Predator strike?

According to journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, the United States retaliated against the head of that faction immediately following the attack on Bhutto:

"This nest of takfiris and their intrigues was on the radar of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the day after Bhutto's killing Sheikh Essa was targeted by CIA Predator drones in his home in North Waziristan. According to Asia Times Online contacts, he survived, but was seriously wounded. Sheikh Essa had only recently recovered from a stroke which had left him bedridden."

There have been no other press reports of such an attack and no US claims of responsibility.

Bilawal Bhutto answers his critics, (including his cousin, three or four times removed) watches Buffy ...on Facebook.

BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI, the 19-year-old son of Benazir Bhutto, has acknowledged critics of his "undemocratic" appointment as co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party and concerns over his political inexperience in a revealing statement on the social networking website Facebook.

Bilawal, who is due to begin his second year at Oxford University this month, wrote on his Facebook site:

"People have questioned why I talk about the virtue of democracy whilst coming into power through such undemocratic means. "I can say this much in response: these are the right questions to be asking. These questions are what the foundations of democracy and a free society are built on. The important thing is not to stop questioning."

"I am not a born leader. I am not a politician or a great thinker. I'm merely a student.
I do the things that students do, like make mistakes, eat junk food, watch Buffy, but most importantly of all … learn."

"My time to lead will come but for now I'm the one asking questions, not the one answering them."