Hindu Gymkhana to be handed over to Hindu community: Sassi Palejo

Source : The News.com


Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism, Sassi Palejo, has declared that the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) will be shifted from the premises of the Hindu Gymkhana. The historical site will then be handed over to the Hindu community as it was a hub for the minority community.

She said that the Jinnah Courts Hostel, Karachi, will also be vacated by the Rangers and this historical building would be preserved as a cultural heritage site.

The provincial minister said this while talking to a delegation of the Pakistan Film and TV Journalists Association (PFTJA) on Thursday who called on the minister at her office. The delegation comprised of President, PFTJA, Abdul Wasee Qureshi; General Secretary, Athar Jawed Soofi; and other members of the association Qaiser Masood Jaffery and Zeeshan Siddiqi.

She said that there was no doubt that the Napa had been serving its cause to a great extent, and personalities such as Zia Mohiuddin, Talat Hussain and Rahat Kazmi were working hard for the promotion of performing arts.

However, she said, this place belonged to the Hindu Gymkhana and the Hindu community was a peaceful one and the government would have the site vacated by Napa and hand it over to the minority community so that they could take part in their cultural activities.

She said the Napa would be shifted to another place as the government did not want to create a conflict with the Presidency.

Sassi Palejo said that steps were being taken to vacate the Jinnah Courts Hostel of the Rangers. The minister said that India made all efforts to promote its culture across the globe, and assured that the PPP government would also take steps to reconsider the cultural policy of the country to promote Pakistani culture in the world.

She claimed that there was massive corruption in the culture and tourism department and the government was taking steps to investigate this corruption. She assured that stern action would be taken against the corrupt officials that were found guilty.

Palejo said that the government was planning to introduce a policy to connect all libraries, including Liaquat National Library, through the internet and that all the libraries would be equipped with DVD and VCD facilities as well as other modern equipment.

She said that the government would also build a museum and cultural complex each at Sehwan Sharif and Bhit Shah.

Black Monday: recession fears spark global share crash

Source : The Guardian


· FTSE suffers biggest fall since 2001
· Interest rate cuts predicted

Fears that 2008 will see the looming recession in the US spreading to every other continent triggered a global crash in share prices yesterday, wiping £77bn off the value of the City's blue-chip stocks in the biggest one-day points fall in London's history.

On a day of panic selling, hefty overnight falls on far eastern stock markets prompted a ripple effect through Europe and left the City's FTSE 100 index down 323.5 points at 5578.2 at the close.

Since the start of the year share prices have dropped by 14%, with the near 900-point fall in the FTSE 100 wiping out all the gains of the last 18 months and putting renewed pressure on pension funds. Yesterday's 5.48% fall was the biggest in percentage terms since the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks but less than half as big as the record 12.2% drop in October 1987.

In the City's money markets, traders were betting that the risk of a synchronised global downturn would force the Bank of England to cut interest rates by a full percentage point during the course of 2008 despite its concerns about inflationary pressure. Economists are expecting the toughest year for the UK since the pound was removed from the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992.

In the US, pressure is mounting on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 0.75 points at its meeting later this month, taking its main policy rate down to 3.5%. Some analysts believe it will be necessary to cut rates to 1% by the end of this year to prevent the contagion from bad loans to subprime mortgage borrowers causing even more damage to the rest of the economy.

Shares in London closed near their lows for the day amid concerns that the market rout would continue today when Wall Street opens after being closed for the Martin Luther King public holiday. Last night, there were indications that the Dow Jones industrial average would open more than 600 points lower.

In other markets, Japan's Nikkei index was down almost 4%, while Germany's Dax and France's CAC index both fell by 7%. With markets in the developing world also suffering, the MSCI gauge of stock markets globally sank 3.3% percent, falling below its 2007 trough to lows last seen in December 2006 and taking it down more than 12% so far this year.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, warned western countries to expect knock-on effects from the slowdown in the US, the world's biggest economy. "The situation is serious," Strauss-Kahn said after meeting the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. "All countries in the world are suffering from the slowdown in growth in the United States, all countries in the developed world."

After briefly rising above $100 a barrel earlier this month, the cost of oil fell by $2 a barrel to $88.59 yesterday in expectation that weaker demand for energy would push down the price of crude. Mining stocks were among the biggest losers in London amid concern that the boom in commodities seen in recent years would be ended by a global slowdown.

Nick Parsons, head of strategy for NAB Capital said: "There was no real trigger for what was a Black Monday. Overnight there was the very large sound of pennies dropping followed by a general market capitulation. What the markets have woken up to is that, yes, there will be a recession in the US and, no, the rest of the world won't be immune to that slowdown."

Graham Turner of GFC Economics said the gloomy mood in the markets might have been the delayed reaction to news last week of financial troubles for the US companies that insured the bonds linked to subprime mortgages, the value of which has plummeted as a result of falling real estate prices and rising home repossessions.

"The stock market has finally cracked and it has cracked because of all the underlying problems. People are worried about consumer spending going down, and with the stock market going down as well the two factors will start to feed off each other," said Turner.

On the day that the chancellor, Alistair Darling, announced his rescue plan for Northern Rock, the main UK casualty of the first wave of the subprime turmoil, the beleaguered bank was one of only a handful of shares to rise. But Scottish Widows became the third company in recent days to freeze its property fund following sharp falls in the price of commercial property. Investors will not be able to access their money for six months

Asia stocks sink amid US recession fears

Source : Net
By CARL FREIRE, Associated Press Writer


TOKYO - Asian stock markets plunged Monday following declines on Wall Street last week amid investor pessimism over the U.S. government's stimulus plan to prevent a recession.

India's benchmark stock index was down a stunning 10.9 percent in afternoon trading, while Hong Kong's blue-chip Hang Seng index plummeted 5.5 percent, its biggest percentage drop since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Investors dumped shares because they were skeptical about an economic stimulus plan President George W. Bush announced Friday. The plan, which requires approval by Congress, calls for about $145 billion worth of tax relief to encourage consumer spending.

Concern about the U.S. economy, a major export market for Asian companies, has sent Asian markets sliding in 2008.

"It's another horrible day," said Francis Lun, a general manager at Fulbright Securities in Hong Kong. "Today it's because of disappointment that the U.S. stimulus (package) is too little, too late and investors feel it won't help the economy recover."

Cracks appear in Malaysia’s multi-ethnic settlement

Source : Financial Times
By John Burton in Singapore

When at least 10,000 ethnic Indians gathered late last year in Kuala Lumpur to demonstrate against alleged racial discrimination, it triggered political tremors in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Not only did the protest defy a state edict against unauthorised outdoor assemblies, it also broke a taboo against publicly questioning the country’s long-standing policy of preferential treatment for majority Muslim Malays.

Malaysia’s government was clearly rattled. Abdullah Badawi, the prime minister, invoked the colonial-era internal security act for the first time since coming to power in 2003, detaining without trial five leaders of the Indian protest. This week it was also revealed that officials had been considering curbing the entry of temporary workers from India.

The protest revealed underlying racial tensions in what has been seen as one of the world’s most successful multi-ethnic states and one of its more open economies. Malaysia is among south-east Asia’s richest countries, regarded as a model for other Muslim countries in embracing globalisation.

Many observers were surprised that the protest was mounted by ethnic Indians, Malaysia’s smallest and most quiescent racial minority, who have been the strongest supporters of the National Front coalition government since it came to power in 1957. But dissent has grown among Indians recently with the destruction of Hindu temples that officials said were built illegally and court cases that ruled that Muslim-born Indians could not convert to the Hindu faith.

Malaysia suffered race riots in 1969 when ethnic Malays clashed with Chinese, who have come to dominate the economy since they started immigrating in the 19th century. Since then, however, peace has reigned among the Malays (52 per cent of the population), ethnic Chinese (25 per cent), Indians (8 per cent) and indigenous people (10 per cent).

But there are signs of growing resentment among the country’s minorities to Malay political dominance and what they see as “creeping Islamisation”. “There used to be more mixing among the races but increased urbanisation has brought more competition for jobs and ethnic identities have become more important as a result,” says Jawhar Hassan, head of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur.

The policy of preferential treatment for Malays, known as the new economic policy, has contributed to this trend. Established in the wake of the 1969 riots, the programme was meant to narrow the income gap between wealthy Chinese and poor Malays and indigenous people, known as bumiputra or “sons of the soil”, by giving the latter preference for university places and state jobs. Businesses were required to have a bumiputra partner, who would hold at least a 30 per cent equity stake.

The policy succeeded in eradicating poverty among Malays but has been blamed for leading to an informal apartheid. The adoption of the Malay language rather than English as the language of instruction in state schools in the 1970s led Chinese and Indian families to enrol their children in private schools to preserve their native language. The overwhelming majority of students in state primary schools now are Malays.

The belief among ethnic Chinese and Indians that they are being denied opportunities has led many to emigrate, while others who do not have enough funds to start a new life abroad express frustration with the system. “I was born and raised in Malaysia and I consider myself as much a bumiputra as a Malay. But I’m treated like a second-class citizen,” says Anand, an ethnic Indian taxi driver.

Several recent court cases involving the conversion of Muslims to other religions have exacerbated divisions. The civil courts have ruled that Islamic sharia courts, which oppose apostasy, are the sole authority on the issue since Muslims fall under their jurisdiction. The decision has raised doubts about Malaysia’s commitment to freedom of religion and led to the formation last year of the Hindu activist group that organised the recent Indian protest.

Economists warn that the NEP represents a barrier to improving Malaysia’s economic efficiency when the country is facing increased competition for foreign investment from regional rivals such as Vietnam. Mr Abdullah has sought to ease some affirmative action provisions in response to those concerns. But when he announced last year that the government would waive such rules for a new economic zone near Singapore, he was criticised by hardliners in his own United Malays National Organisation, Malaysia’s dominant party.

The prime minister faces a tough challenge. He must appease Malay nationalists to keep his post, since his power base within Umno is weak. But his refusal to make concessions to minorities is likely to cause Chinese and Indian voters to defect to the opposition at the next general election, which could come early this year.

The government is expected to win the election easily, since it holds more than 90 per cent of the parliamentary seats. But a declining share of the vote for the National Front could undermine Mr Abdullah’s authority and derail his economic reforms. An erosion in support for the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Malaysian Indian Congress, the two main parties in the National Front that represent the ethnic minorities, would further increase the influence of Umno on state policy.

Mr Abdullah already appears to be bowing to pressure from Umno conservatives, in spite of promising political liberalisation after the autocratic rule of his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad. “The protest reflects the new openness that Abdullah sought to achieve by encouraging the expression of grievances. But he may have decided to use the ISA to calm down the power brokers within Umno, who don’t like to see their authority challenged,” says Ramon Navaratnam, head of the Malaysian branch of Transparency International.

A close aide to the prime minister painted a more alarming picture, saying that the recent Indian protest could create a backlash among Malays and lead to racial violence. “Abdullah appears to be genuinely worried about the situation,” says a foreign diplomat in Kuala Lumpur.

There are other signs of a U-turn in Mr Abdullah’s reform agenda. He recently scrapped plans to sell Proton, the troubled state-owned carmaker, to Volkswagen or General Motors, caving in to pressure from Malay subcontractors who feared a loss of business.

Any significant retreat from the NEP is unlikely as long as the National Front remains in power. “In spite of the complaints about the NEP, the fact is that the policy has ensured this country’s stability and its abandonment would destroy it,” says Mr Jawhar.

“The NEP was originally meant to eradicate poverty among all races, not just the Malays,” says Mr Navaratnam. “But it has since evolved into a policy promoting the interests of Malays. If it can regain its original intention, the NEP can still play an useful role.”

Boeing 787 hit by security fears

Source : BBC


Boeing has been ordered to ensure passengers on its new 787 Dreamliner jet cannot hack into the flight system and take control of the plane.
The ruling has come from America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is concerned that the plane's computer system may be vulnerable.

Boeing said it was in constant dialogue with the FAA to resolve the issue.
The US giant will start to deliver the mid-sized planes from November. British
Rival UK carrier Virgin Atlantic has orders for 15.

'Appropriate safeguards'

Responding to the security revelation, which was first reported by trade magazine Flight International, Boeing said that "appropriate safeguards were already designed into the 787".

"We have already reached agreement with the FAA on the documentation, analysis and demonstrations necessary to show compliance with this special condition," it said.

"Completion of these activities will occur during the flight test programme."

It added that information from the test flights would be fully shared with the FAA to ensure a thorough review of the system.

Carbon fibre

The Dreamliner is Boeing's fastest-selling plane, with 802 orders in total by the start of this year.

Last year it was hit by a six-month delay due to manufacturing problems.
The Dreamliner is Boeing's first all-new jet since 1995.

It is the only big commercial aircraft made mostly of carbon fibre rather than aluminium and is billed as the most environmentally-friendly commercial jet ever built.

Boeing says the 787 is much more fuel efficient than its competitors and produces 20% less carbon dioxide.

Malaysia: Sliding into Religious Intolerance

The Grieboski Report

The Grieboski Report provides analysis and critique of current events within the context of religious freedom, human rights, and social justice around the world.

Source : Institute on Religion and Public Policy
by Andrew Zoeller

Many recent events in Malaysia seem to point to the possibility that Malaysia, a country which often prides itself on the cultural and religious diversity that can be found within its borders, is slipping slowly into intolerance and religious favoritism. A conservative view that favors Islam over the religious traditions of the countries substantial religious minorities is beginning to grip the country.

Numerous incidents that have occurred over the past several months have sparked concern among the countries Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and traditional Chinese religious adherents that their rights of religious freedom enshrined in Malaysia’s constitution are increasingly being violated and subordinated to the will of Malaysia’s Muslim community. These groups collectively comprise about 40% of the country’s population.

The most prominent of these incidents was the government’s recent decree that only Muslims may use the term Allah. This is in spite of the fact that Allah is simply the Arabic word for God and has been for time immemorial, before the time of Muhammad’s revelations. Allah is also the word for God in Malay in both Islam and Christianity.

Christian communities around the world in countries, such as, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and Indonesia refer to God as Allah without a problem. The government threatened to revoke the publishing license of a Christian newspaper if it did not stop using the word Allah as a reference to God. The Malay government is actually beginning to interfere in terminology of other religious communities.

Where does this oversight end? Will the Malay government next claim monotheism or prayer are exclusive to Muslims and so hence cannot be practiced by any other group? Only time will tell but in any case it is the beginning of a potentially dangerous slide into interfering with the practices of a particular religious group. The government has recently backed off of its threatened ban recently, but this is still an ominous sign for the country’s religion minority populations.

Christians aren’t the only ones who have the increasing oppression of intolerance in Malaysia. Hindu groups regularly complain that their followers are discriminated against in all sectors of public and private life. There are regular reports of destruction and desecration of Hindu temples, statues, and holy sites in Malaysia at the hands of the government.

Recently, an already approved construction project of a statue to the Taoist Goddess of the Sea was halted by authorities, in part, because it was thought it may offend Muslims. The Sharia courts are beginning to creep into the affairs of non-Muslims in some alarming ways. Sharia courts have recently begun to issues decrees and rulings on issues such as people attempt to leave Islam, a converted Hindu’s divorce case against his Hindu wife, and a custody dispute between a Muslim and a Hindu.

It is imperative that the Malaysia begin to live up to its guarantees of religious freedom for minorities and tolerance that it has long prided itself on. The Malaysian people and the world at large cannot afford for the Malaysian government to continue on this path. If Malaysia continues on this path of increased religious oppression, there is a good chance these minority religions will become disenfranchised and seek extrajudicial means in which to rectify these perceived slights.

The area can ill afford religious violence like that plagues its neighbors of Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Malaysia needs to stop this backslide into religious oppression not only because it is the right thing to do morally, but is a necessary thing in order to protect the stability and economic progress that Malaysia has striven to achieve since its independence.

Singaporean says on hunger strike to support M'sian Hindus

Source : The Straits Times
Image : Net

A SINGAPOREAN artist said he had begun a hunger strike to seek the release of Malaysian Hindu rights activists detained under a tough security law.
'At 9.00am I began,' 23-year-old Seelan Palay said from near the front gate of the Malaysian High Commission on Monday.

Mr Palay said he would drink water but not eat during the hunger strike, which will last five days - one day for each detained member from Malaysia's Hindu Rights Action Force.

The five are being held under Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

'I'll sleep on the ground on a straw mat,' he said, adding he was wearing a sign around his neck that read: 'Give them fair trial.'

The activists were detained after they enraged the government in November by mounting a mass rally alleging discrimination against Indians in Malaysia, where the majority are ethnic Malay Muslims.

Police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges to break up the street protest by at least 8,000 people. Mr Palay said he attended that rally.

In a statement released before the hunger strike, Mr Palay called for global pressure on the Malaysian government to free the five and to prove allegations against them in open court.

'In line with the greater focus on human rights in Asean today ... we surely cannot turn a blind eye to this matter,' his statement said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) last month signed a charter calling for the establishment of a regional human rights body.

Singapore currently chairs the 10-member Asean and Malaysia is a member. -- AFP

Be Prepared - Financial Outlook for 2008

Source : Telegraph UK

City experts give us their top predictions

CREDIT SUISSE: ASIA TO WEATHER GLOBAL SLOWDOWN
Dong Tao, chief regional economist for Asia ex-Japan, Credit Suisse

We expect export growth in Asia in the first half of 2008 to be constrained by a substantial fall in G3 growth and a tightening of global credit flows, but the slowdown in the region will be moderated by robust domestic demand.

For the year, the bank downgraded its 2008 growth forecasts for Asia from 8.3pc to 7.8pc, with the biggest adjustment seen from export-dependent South Korea and Taiwan.

This follows a cut in Credit Suisse's G3 growth forecast to 1.5pc from 2pc for 2008, and its US growth projection to 1.5pc from 2.5pc, with most of the slowdown expected to take place between Q4 2007 and Q2 2008.

Inflationary pressures remain a concern in Asia, with Credit Suisse raising inflation forecasts sharply next year for Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Asia's exports will be affected by the slowdown but domestic demand in the region remains strong. China seems to be heading for a soft landing; it can provide a buffer to the rest of the world but cannot totally compensate for the decline.

Growth forecasts for China and India were revised down, from 10.2pc to 10pc for the former and from 9.6pc to 8.5pc for the latter, in Credit Suisse's newly published Emerging Markets Quarterly report.

China is well positioned to weather an anticipated G3 slowdown. Factors such as an overheated economy that may have caused concerns previously may stand it in good stead during a downturn.

The growth of exports is expected to slow to 16pc-17pc in 2008 from 27pc in the first ten months of 2007. But the impact on net trade, and hence GDP, will be muted as more than 50pc of export earnings are used to pay for imported materials.

However, there are four major risks to the Bank's forecast: a sudden and sharp fall in the A-share market, a significant policy-induced correction on housing prices, a slow response to a G3 slowdown, and heightened cross-Strait tensions.

On the currency front, Credit Suisse expects a 10pc RMB appreciation against the US dollar in 2008 compared with the 6.23pc year-on-year gain at end-November 2007 and 3.3pc rise in 2006.

In Hong Kong, the Bank expects growth to be driven by private consumption, with GDP growth in 2008 forecast at 4.6pc versus a projected 6pc for 2007.

Residential property prices could rise 20pc-30pc over the next six months, as rising inflation, strong capital inflows, negative real interest rates, and a positive wealth effect generated by the equity market pushes up transaction volumes. Inflation is likely to surprise on the upside, fuelled by strong economic momentum and robust employment conditions.

Other factors driving inflation include high food prices from the mainland, surging commodity prices, rising rents, and rising wages. The Hong Kong dollar peg will remain despite pressure for revaluation.

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is again expected to lead the region in terms of growth with projections for 2008 of 9.1pc versus a forecast 8.5pc for 2007. The expansion of market share and capacity, the technological upgrade of existing industries, and FDI-driven investment should provide a buffer to a global slowdown but concerns of overheating persist.

Inflation hit a new three-year high of 10pc year-on-year in November 2007 and is forecast to rise to as high as 12pc year-on-year in 2008. Growth in Singapore is likely to moderate to 6pc in 2008 from nearly 8.0pc in 2007, reflecting slow external demand from G3 economies.

Benazir Bhutto killed in Attack

Source : BBC

Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.

Ms Bhutto - the first woman PM in an Islamic state - was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb.

At least 20 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.

President Pervez Musharraf has urged people to remain calm but angry protests have gripped some cities, with at least 11 deaths reported.

Security forces have been placed on a state of "red alert" nationwide.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. Analysts believe Islamist militants to be the most likely group behind it.

Map: Scene of the assassination Benazir Bhutto's coffin has now been taken from the hospital

Ms Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had served as prime minister from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, and had been campaigning ahead of elections due on 8 January.

It was the second suicide attack against her in recent months and came amid a wave of bombings targeting security and government officials.

Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister and a political rival, announced his Muslim League party would boycott the elections.

He called on President Musharraf to resign, saying free and fair elections were not possible under his rule.

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session and later said it "unanimously condemned" the assassination.

Scene of grief

Ms Bhutto's coffin was removed from hospital in Rawalpindi and has now arrived by plane in Sukkur in Sindh province for burial in her home town, Larkana.

Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, has arrived in Pakistan from Dubai to escort the coffin to its final resting-place.

The attack occurred close to an entrance gate of the city park where Ms Bhutto had been speaking.

Police confirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and chest before the gunman blew himself up.

She died at 1816 (1316 GMT), said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of the PPP who was at hospital.

Some supporters at the hospital wept while others broke into anger, throwing stones at cars and breaking windows.

Protests erupted in other cities as news of the assassination spread, with reports of 11 deaths in the PPP's heartland province of Sindh, including four in provincial capital, Karachi.

More than 100 cars were burned in Karachi, while cars and a train were reportedly set on fire in Hyderabad.

In other violence:

Police in Peshawar, in the north-west, used batons and tear gas to break up a rally by protesters chanting anti-Musharraf slogans

One man was killed in a "shoot-out" between police and protesters in Tando Allahyar, the mayor said

Unrest was also reported in Quetta, Multan and Shikarpur

'Security lapse'

Mr Musharraf has announced three days of national mourning. All schools, colleges, universities, banks and government offices will remain closed.

Protesters set vehicles on fire in the streets of Hyderabad

Mr Sharif said there had been a "serious lapse in security" by the government.

Earlier on Thursday, at least four people were killed ahead of an election rally Mr Sharif had been preparing to attend close to Rawalpindi.

Ms Bhutto's death has plunged the PPP into confusion and raises questions about whether January elections will go ahead as planned, the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says.

The killing was condemned by India, the US, the UK and others.

US President George W Bush telephoned Mr Musharraf for what the White House would only describe as a "brief" conversation on the situation.

BENAZIR BHUTTO

Father led Pakistan before being executed in 1979
Spent five years in prison
Served as PM from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996
Sacked twice by president on corruption charges
Formed alliance with rival ex-PM Nawaz Sharif in 2006
Ended self-imposed exile by returning to Pakistan in October
Educated at Harvard and Oxford
Ms Bhutto returned from self-imposed exile in October after years out of Pakistan where she had faced corruption charges.

Her return was the result of a power-sharing agreement with President Musharraf

He had granted an amnesty that covered the court cases she was facing.

But relations with Mr Musharraf soon broke down.

On the day of her arrival, she had led a motor cavalcade through the city of Karachi.

It was hit by a double suicide attack that left some 130 dead.

Rawalpindi, the nerve centre of Pakistan's military, is seen as one of the country's most secure cities.

Many analysts say attacks like those on Thursday show the creeping "Talebanisation" of Pakistan.

Radical Muslims calling for Islamic law, and fiercely opposed to the US, have become increasingly active in Pakistani politics in recent years, analysts say.

THE ASSASSINATION OF BENAZIR BHUTTO



1. Benazir Bhutto had addressed a rally of thousands of supporters in Rawalpindi's Liaqat Bagh Park
2. As her convoy was leaving the park via the rear gate onto Murree road, she was shot twice in the neck and chest
3. The gunman then blew himself up killing at least 16 people
4. Ms Bhutto was taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 1816 local time.