Pakistan's Zardari to give up powers

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's new President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday told parliament to abolish his wide-ranging powers and warned "we will not tolerate" sovereignty violations after a series of cross-border strikes.

In his début address to a joint session of parliament, Zardari called for an end to the president's powers to dissolve the assembly and dismiss the government, and also pledged to tackle Pakistan's economic problems.

He warned Pakistan would not put up with violations of its sovereignty and territory in the anti-terror fight, in reference to strikes in its tribal zone by the US-led coalition based in Afghanistan.

"We will not tolerate the violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combating terrorism," Zardari said, as lawmakers thumped their desks in agreement.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080920/ts_afp/pakistanpolitics_080920130625

[ohio2007]

1. As the latest suicide blast killed six including two soldiers near the Afghan border, the president

Pakistan is divided

As the latest suicide blast killed six including two soldiers near the Afghan border, the president urged the government to ensure Pakistani soil is not used by extremists.

"I ask of the government that it should be firm in its resolve not to allow the use of its soil for carrying out terrorist activities against any foreign country," he said.

Zardari said the government had a "three-pronged strategy" to deal with extremism in tribal areas, including dialogue with law-abiding tribes, a development plan for the area and the use of force only as "the last resort."

Taliban should be thinking about declaring their own state of West Pakistan in the conquered territory ?

[maddezmom]

2. and now we have a blast at the Marriott in Islamabad

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3501275

[High Plains]

3. Long live Pashtunistan?

This whole Afghan-Pakistan thing is really taking on the appearance of a Pashtun Rebellion. I think Pashtuns are about half the Afghan population, as well as making up a good number of Pakistanis, especially in the north and west. The Brits divided the Pashtun nation with the Durand Line demarcating the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in 1919, but the Pashtuns don't seem to be paying much attention to that these days. I think its the Pashtuns against the ferenghi, which, in their eyes, could even include the Pakistan national government.

I have stood in Pashtunistan Square in Kabul and pondered colonial border-drawing exercises...

[ohio2007]

4. maybe Russia will recognize them as a sovereign nation

but trading arms and air defense missiles for opium products will only hurt them in their own areas wanting to be free from Russia control