Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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March 17, 2009

US, Britain Welcome End to Pakistani Crisis
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=22E8DDA:A6F02AD83191E160D53BA215BBE69D7521A4E82C900CD027&
 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls resolution first step towards
reconciliation 
The United States and Britain have welcomed the Pakistani government's
decision to peacefully resolve its political crisis by reinstating
deposed Supreme Court justices. Hillary Clinton (file photo)U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the resolution a first step
towards reconciliation. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
separately praised Pakistan's president and opposition leader for
putting the country's interests first. The diplomats had urged
Pakistan's leaders to defuse the week-long crisis, expressing concern it
would divert Islamabad's attention from the fight against al-Qaida and
the Taliban. The Pakistani government averted a potentially volatile
march on the capital Monday by bowing to opposition demands to reinstate
the popular former chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. Hours
after the announcement, a suicide bomber killed 12 people and wounded 18
others in Rawalpindi, a garrison city just south of Islamabad. Monday's
political developments capped a week of high drama that included a
violent crackdown on anti-government protests across Pakistan.
Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif called off the protests Monday, saying
the people had won a "historic achievement." Former chief justice
Chaudhry was fired in 2007 by then-president Pervez Musharraf, after
pursuing a case challenging Mr. Musharraf's rule. Sixty other top
justices also were fired. Most have been reinstated. Current President
Asif Ali Zardari had pledged to restore Chaudhry after taking office.
But he broke that promise, stirring outcry from lawyers and the
opposition led by Mr. Sharif, a former prime minister. Some information
for this report was provided by AFP.


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