Mass protests fail to topple Pakistan PM ADVERTISING Mass protests fail to topple Pakistan PM ISLAMABAD — It had all the elements of a classic coup: thousands descending on the capital, clashing with police outside parliament and commandeering state TV
Mass protests fail to topple Pakistan PM
ISLAMABAD — It had all the elements of a classic coup: thousands descending on the capital, clashing with police outside parliament and commandeering state TV to demand the ouster of a civilian leader who had locked horns with the military in a country with a long history of turmoil and dictatorship.
But when the tear gas cleared in Islamabad in August, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif remained in office with the support of the entire parliament, the troops were still in their barracks, and the protesters had dwindled to a few thousand, their “revolution” confined to a festive, shrinking tent camp.
The uprising led by former cricket star Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri failed to overthrow Sharif, but it did rattle the conventional view of Pakistan as a tottering state perpetually leaning on an all-powerful army. “Parliament’s unanimous support for Nawaz Sharif played a key role in saving democracy in Pakistan,” political analyst Mahdi Hasan said.
Khan and Qadri had accused Sharif of massive fraud in the 2013 election that brought him to office in Pakistan’s first-ever democratic transfer of power. International monitors reported irregularities in the vote, but have not questioned the outcome.
Beyond the voting allegations, Khan and Sharif are longtime political opponents, while Qadri holds Sharif personally responsible for the deaths of 14 of his supporters in clashes with police in Lahore in June.
Complex investigation follows killing of deputies during shooting rampage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 100 law enforcement officers from across Northern California responded without being asked after hearing that one of their own had been killed at the start of a shooting rampage, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said Saturday.
Federal, state and local officers eventually swarmed six separate crime scenes across a 30-mile region encompassing two counties, Placer County sheriff’s spokeswoman Dena Erwin said.
“It was an amazing response,” Erwin said. “We don’t call for those people, they just show up on their own because they know a fellow officer has been shot.”
The officers from the state Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies will be questioned as part of the complex, ongoing investigation into the attack on Friday that ended after two deputies were dead and two other victims were wounded.
Placer County Sheriff Ed Bonner described the crime scenes as “incredibly chaotic” and vowed to piece together details of the attacks.
Blues legend Bruce, vocalist and bassist of 1960s power trio Cream, dies at 71
LONDON — Jack Bruce was part Mississippi Delta and part Carnaby Street. In his glorious heyday as bassist and lead vocalist of 1960s power trio Cream he helped create a sound that combined American blues and psychedelia to thrill audiences throughout the world.
Bruce, who died Saturday of liver disease at age 71, enjoyed a long, respected solo career after the band’s acrimonious breakup, but will be best remembered for his stint with Cream and for classics like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “I Feel Free.”
Much of the attention was focused on guitar wizard Eric Clapton, but Bruce wrote many of the band’s signature tunes and served as lead vocalist. He also provided the intense bass guitar that, with Ginger Baker’s explosive drums, underpinned Cream’s rhythmic, driving sound.
By wire sources
