Key political risks to watch in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, July 18: Pakistan’s parliament elected former water and power minister Raja Pervez Ashraf as the new prime minister on June 22 after the incumbent Yusuf Raza Gilani was disqualified by the increasingly assertive Supreme Court.
In April, the court found Gilani guilty of contempt for refusing to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
While the latest decision was another blow to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), it is unlikely to lead to the fall of the unpopular government.
The decision comes at a time when ties between Islamabad  and Washington have been stuck at their lowest in years.
Relations between the United States and its ally Pakistan deteriorated after a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last November.
The incident prompted Pakistan to reassess ties with the US, and in mid-April, parliament approved recommendations from its national security committee, including a demand that America ends drone strikes in Pakistan.
In early July, the US apologised for the November incident and Pakistan agreed to reopen land routes that supply NATO troops in Afghanistan that it closed in response to the November incident. The move brought Islamabad some diplomatic relief, but protests from thousands of Pakistanis.
The US wants Pakistan to chase the militant groups on its soil which take advantage of the porous border with Afghanistan to attack NATO and Afghan troops there. Pakistan’s cooperation is critical to US-led efforts to stabilise Afghanistan as NATO combat troops prepare to leave the country by the end of 2014.
Tensions have heightened further over the sentencing of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, said to have helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden. His 33-year jail term drew sharp criticism from Washington, which responded by cutting aid to Pakistan by 33 million dollar.
Here is a summary of key risks to watch in Pakistan:
POLITICAL VIOLENCE, GOVERNMENT WEAKNESS
New prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf is already coming under similar pressure from the Supreme Court as did Gilani. He has been ordered to re-open cases against Zardari and provide evidence of having done so by July 25, or face the threat of disqualification, a move which would further discredit a widely scorned government. (AGENCIES)
Key political risks to watch in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, July 18: Pakistan’s parliament elected former water and power minister Raja Pervez Ashraf as the new prime minister on June 22 after the incumbent Yusuf Raza Gilani was disqualified by the increasingly assertive Supreme Court.
In April, the court found Gilani guilty of contempt for refusing to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
While the latest decision was another blow to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), it is unlikely to lead to the fall of the unpopular government.
The decision comes at a time when ties between Islamabad  and Washington have been stuck at their lowest in years.
Relations between the United States and its ally Pakistan deteriorated after a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last November.
The incident prompted Pakistan to reassess ties with the US, and in mid-April, parliament approved recommendations from its national security committee, including a demand that America ends drone strikes in Pakistan.
In early July, the US apologised for the November incident and Pakistan agreed to reopen land routes that supply NATO troops in Afghanistan that it closed in response to the November incident. The move brought Islamabad some diplomatic relief, but protests from thousands of Pakistanis.
The US wants Pakistan to chase the militant groups on its soil which take advantage of the porous border with Afghanistan to attack NATO and Afghan troops there. Pakistan’s cooperation is critical to US-led efforts to stabilise Afghanistan as NATO combat troops prepare to leave the country by the end of 2014.
Tensions have heightened further over the sentencing of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, said to have helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden. His 33-year jail term drew sharp criticism from Washington, which responded by cutting aid to Pakistan by 33 million dollar.
Here is a summary of key risks to watch in Pakistan:
POLITICAL VIOLENCE, GOVERNMENT WEAKNESS
New prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf is already coming under similar pressure from the Supreme Court as did Gilani. He has been ordered to re-open cases against Zardari and provide evidence of having done so by July 25, or face the threat of disqualification, a move which would further discredit a widely scorned government. (AGENCIES)

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