Dire Straits for Pakistan, International Relations and Security Network, Security Watch, 18 January 2010
EXCERPT: "While the war on terror rages in Pakistan’s tribal regions, with attacks claiming more and more civilian lives and US drone strikes complicating matters further, the country faces a multitude of other problems, including a catastrophic energy crisis in the midst of a severe winter, a dire financial crunch, and a weakened government whose president is facing an insurmountable credibility conundrum. Recent developments in the country’s ongoing corruption crisis are now adding to the public’s quickly growing disillusionment with the government led by President Asif Ali Zardari, who is proving to be little, if any, improvement over his much-maligned predecessor, Pervez Musharraf. In a 17 December decision, the Pakistani Supreme Court reversed a controversial corruption amnesty law put in place under the regime of former military president Musharraf, clearing the way for massive corruption and criminal cases against top politicians, bureaucrats and generals. Today, around 8,500 corruption and other criminal cases against high-profile figures, including Zardari, are awaiting hearing."
Read the full story.
Related articles:
Fazl sees conspiracies for secular Pakistan, GEO TV, 18 January 2010
Outrage over power shortage in freezing winter, DAWN, 17 January 2010
Presidential power slashed, PM to appoint Army Chief, DAWN, 14 January 2010
Related posts:
The challenges of Pakistani governance, 13 January 2010
Amnesty upheaval leading to "slow-burning disarray"?, 22 December 2009
Energy shortfall greater concern than Taliban, 18 December 2009
At the precipice: Is Pakistan about to fail?, 10 December 2009
