World Report: January 11, 2008 Vol. #13 Iss. #14
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
Pakistan Delays Elections
After weeks of political uncertainty, Pakistan is hovering on the brink of bigger problems. Last Wednesday, the country's Election Commission announced that it would postpone elections scheduled for January 8 until February 18. The commission said that the unrest had made it "impossible" to hold elections as planned.
On December 27, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in the city of Rawalpindi. Gunfire rang out and an attacker set off an explosion, killing himself and at least 22 others. The government blamed militant Islamists for the assault. (See "A Leader Is Lost," timeforkids.com/bhutto.)
The assassination was met with anger and violence. In Lahore and Karachi, Bhutto supporters burned shops, police stations and buses. Some 60 people were killed and property worth tens of millions of dollars was damaged.
Opponents are condemning the election delay, but they have agreed to participate. They say the best way to end the violence is through the ballot box. "It is up to the people of Pakistan to choose their future," read a joint statement from opposition leaders Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. Zardari was Bhutto's husband and is a leader of her political organization, the Pakistan People's Party.
