In Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari's ruling party lobbied coalition partners
Friday for a vote of support ahead of a confidence vote Monday as the government faces
the most intense pressure from the powerful military since a 1999 coup.
Pakistan's
President Asif Ali Zardari faces his biggest political crisis since he took office
in 2008 over an unsigned memo to the Pentagon that sought U.S. help in reining in
Pakistan's generals, who have ruled the nation for more than half of its history.
This after a NATO drone attack last November on the border with Afghanistan left dozens
of soldiers dead, fuelling anti-Western sentiment among the population.
The
nuclear armed South Asian state is seen as key in efforts to stabilise neighbouring
Afghanistan. The fact remains however, that no civilian government has ever served
out its full five-year term in the country.
The tug of war between the army
and civilian leaders is also impacting on society with a crisis of governance and
law enforcement leaving increasing space to radical groups.
Earlier this week,
a bomb killed at least 25 people and wounded 26 in Pakistan's north-western Khyber
region, one of the restive tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan where Tehrik-e-Taliban
insurgents have been battling the military for years. The attack came amid conflicting
reports of peace talks between the insurgents and the Pakistani government. Tehrik-e-Taliban
have vowed to overthrow the military and government and impose Sharia law throughout
Pakistan.