What Next in Pakistan?

The U.S. Bush administration sent deputy secretary of state, John D. Negroponte to Pakistan to meet with the new Pakistan prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani as well as President Pervez Musharraf.

Negroponte was accompanied by Richard Boucher, assistant secretary of state for south asian affairs. They also met with Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) and Asif Ali Zardari (PPL-Bhutto) who are the leaders of the new coalition in the national assembly.

Here is a good read in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/world/asia/26pstan.html

When elected prime minister, Gilani called for the release of the judges held under house arrest since their removal from office by Musharraf when he suspended the constitution. There are reports that the barricades have been removed from outside the homes of the Judges.

The next move by Gilani may be to try to reinstate the Judges and if successful, this would surely mark the end for Musharraf. There are also reports that two senior military officers, loyal to Musharraf have stepped down. While the Pakistan military has stayed out of the political upheaval in the country, this is another ominous sign as to the fate of Musharraf.

The envoys sent by the U.S. Bush administration were informed that a new comprehensive approach was needed in the battle against terrorism. One that includes opening dialog leading to diplomatic solutions and not one that totally relied on military force. Here is a good read by Reuters.com: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL12709420080326

Stay tuned.