• published: 09 May 2013
• views: 1559

In an exclusive interview, CNN's Saima Mohsin speaks to the family a politician killed in Pakistan. Would you like to know more? Pakistan's voters to go to polls amid growing tension http://bit.ly/147s9pK "When Pakistanis go to the polls on Saturday they will be electing key players battling to govern one of the world's most complicated countries. From corruption, claims of international interference, terrorism and religious extremism to overpopulation, inflation, poverty and unemployment, Pakistan has been famously dubbed by some as the world's most unstable nuclear power. For much of its 66-year existence, the nation of 193 million people has been ruled by a military government. But this year's election is being hailed as one of the most democratic to date. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, there will be 36 million new voters among the 86 million registered to vote and more than double the number of candidates ... will be women, according to U.N. Women. "There's a new hope for the country and I hope that this will change the situation in Pakistan; voting this time will make a difference," one Pakistani woman told CNN's Saima Mohsin..." Bombing connected to election kill 18 in Pakistan (AP, May 7, 2013) http://yhoo.it/ZNJ9l5 "3 bombings in northwest Pakistan targeting individuals involved in this week's national elections killed 18 people on Tuesday, police said, pushing the death toll from attacks on candidates and party workers to over 100 since the beginning of April. 2 of the attacks targeted candidates from Islamist parties, indicating a new trend in the pre-election violence, which had only plagued secular parties before ...The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks ... specifically threatened several secular parties ... But the Taliban have also condemned democracy as a whole, meaning any political party taking part in the election could be considered fair game ... In the deadliest of the 3 attacks Tuesday, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosives near a vehicle carrying a candidate from a hard-line Islamist party, killing 12 people and wounding 35..." The roots of terrorism (dawn, March 18, 2013) http://bit.ly/15UVfts "A cursory analysis of the START Global Terrorism Database reveals that over the past decade, Pakistan has had the highest number of terrorism-related deaths in the world. In fact, the death toll exceeds the combined terrorism-related deaths for both Europe and North America. Hence, an understanding of terrorism, its dynamics, its causes, the reasons for its escalation and de-escalation is of utmost importance to Pakistan. Unfortunately, policymakers, academics and politicians in Pakistan increasingly rely on speculation and their intuition alone to deal with this menace. The purpose of this article is to dispel the myth that reforms in education and economic growth alone will bring down terrorism levels..." U.N. told atheists face discrimination around globe (Reuters, Feb 25, 2013) http://reut.rs/WeCAbf "Extensive discrimination by governments against atheists, humanists and the non-religious occurs worldwide," declared the grouping, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) which has some 120 member bodies in 45 countries. In Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan "atheists can face the death penalty on the grounds of their belief" although this was in violation of U.N. human rights accords, the IHEU said. Further, in several others legal measures "effectively criminalize atheism (and) the expression and manifestation of atheist beliefs" or lead to systematic discrimination against freethinkers, the document declared..." Pakistan suffers unprecedented winter of attacks as militants seek 'piece of the pie' (NBC, Jan 19, 2013) http://nbcnews.to/WfQ2ae "... The onset of winter traditionally marks the end of the militants' "fighting season" and heralds a lull in attacks. But this year is different. Pakistan is facing an extraordinary surge in terrorist activity. The country is reeling from an intense spate of organized militancy that has crossed international borders and morphed from an anti-Western jihad in Afghanistan to an anti-state and sectarian movement deep inside Pakistan. The increasingly sophisticated and high-profile attacks have killed scores. They include at least 114 people who were slain in a series of attacks on Jan. 10, a day which was later dubbed "Black Thursday." This uptick in violence in Pakistan comes as Islamabad is trying to improve its relationship with Kabul and Washington. It is seen as a message from insurgents: They are not going anywhere..." Bhutto Murdercase Prosecutor Assassinated In Islamabad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfIWSeqYTk Against Elections - Against Democracy - More Attacks To Come http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o1knqVGn7o Ready - Steady - Go! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPd3TG_fEo