Zardari leads Pakistan; 45 people killed in Taliban-plagued north-west frontier

Opinion

Barry Artiste,

Certainly a country plagued with corruption and uncertainty, the Taliban are more than willing to take advantage of a even more dire situation, which looks like there may be no end in sight, as bombings continue to kill the innocents. http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2008/09/07/6686216-sun.html

Zardari leads Pakistan 45 people killed in Taliban-plagued north-west frontier

By MUNIR AHMAD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISLAMABAD -- Benazir Bhutto's widower swept Pakistan's presidential election yesterday, offering hope for stability to a nuclear-armed country feeling intense U.S. pressure to crack down on Islamic militants.

In a grim reminder of the problems awaiting Asif Ali Zardari, rescuers in the northwest dug with their hands for survivors after at least 30 people were killed in a massive suicide bombing.

Already head of the main ruling party, Zardari becomes one of the most powerful civilian leaders in Pakistan's turbulent 61-year history.

Last month he marshalled a coalition that forced Pervez Musharraf to quit as head of state.

A beaming Zardari, 53, hugged and shook hands with supporters and well-wishers gathering for a dinner yesterday in the gardens of the prime minister's residence on a hill overlooking the capital.

As he savoured his triumph over Musharraf, during whose reign he sat for years in jail on graft charges that never produced a conviction, he told his critics to "listen to democracy." Echoing his wife's favourite slogan, he called democracy "the best revenge" against military rulers.