Islamabad, Mar. 15 : Despite being asked by Prime Minister Gilani
and Army Chief Kayani to cool down the political temper, Pakistan
President Asif Ali Zardari has remained unfazed so far.

To
deal with a defiant Zardari and end political emergency , the minus-one
formula is being discussed in Islamabad, The News claims.

Although
a former colleague of Pakistan Army Chief General Pervez Kayani has
said that Kayani would be the last person to go for a military coup,
but the Kakar or minus-one formula might his last option to overcome

Lahore, Mar. 15 : Despite national and international pressure to put an end to the ongoing political turmoil in the country, President Asif Ali Zardari is firm about not reinstating sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

During a meeting with senior Pakistan People’s Party leaders, Zardari said he was ready to accept all demands of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) but that of reinstating Iftikhar Chaudhry as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Lahore, Mar. 15 : With resignation of two key members from the Pakistan cabinet, and the pass up of several unpopular decisions, cracks have begun to appear within the ruling Pakistan People’s Party.

Among the controversial decisions are the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab, the appointment of ‘blue-eyed’ figures to key slots, the cornering of close aides of Benazir Bhutto, the use of force against political workers and the media. This has perturbed a majority of PPP members, The News reports.

Islamabad, Mar. 15 : Pakistan Interior Ministry has denied reports that former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif are under house arrest.

According to The News, the ministry has told the concerned authorities to beef-up security around the Sharif brothers’.

“Both of them were never and at no place arrested and neither any such order has been issued,” ministerial sources said.

Islamabad, Mar. 15 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has accepted the resignation of Information and Broadcasting (IB) Minister Sherry Rehman, and has appointed Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Qamaruz Zaman Kaira to the post.

According to sources, Rehman told Gilani that the unwarranted interference in her work by some ministers had affected her prestige.

She said it was this undue interference that convinced her to quit.

Rawalpindi, Mar. 15 : Pakistan intelligence agencies have confirmed reports about a possible terror attack on former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif during the Long March.

Police have expressed fears that the Sharif brothers’ might be targeted during a public rally.