GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, 64, president: He seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, overthrowing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Branded a pariah, he gained international acceptance by backing the U.S. war on terror after the Sept. 11 attacks. He allowed U.S. troops to use military bases in ousting the Taliban in Afghanistan. A moderate, he has campaigned against Islamic extremists and survived at least three assassination attempts. He has remained army chief while president, reneging on a promise to give up his military role. ...more

November 4, 2007

Pakistani forces fought pitched battles with insurgents Thursday in the scenic northwestern Swat Valley, leaving dozens dead. The violence came on a day when the Supreme Court indicated that President Pervez Musharraf's election to a new term will remain in legal limbo for at least two more weeks. ...more

November 2, 2007

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto abruptly canceled plans to travel abroad Wednesday, saying she had heard rumors the government could impose a state of emergency during her absence. ...more

November 1, 2007

Under extraordinarily tight security, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to her ancestral homeland Saturday in her first major move since a recent assassination attempt against her claimed 140 lives. ...more

October 28, 2007

Authorities sifting through clues in the devastating bombing of Benazir Bhutto's homecoming procession here questioned three men Saturday, a source close to the investigation said. ...more

October 21, 2007

Two powerful bombs detonated next to a truck carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto late Thursday, just hours after she returned from exile to a triumphal homecoming. More than 120 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in one of Pakistan's worst episodes of political violence. ...more

October 19, 2007

By foot, bus and bicycle, thousands of fervent followers of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto converged Wednesday, preparing to welcome her home today from eight years of exile. ...more

October 18, 2007

The former world chess champion Garry Kasparov entered Russia's presidential race on Sunday, elected overwhelmingly as the candidate for the country's beleaguered opposition coalition. ...more

October 1, 2007

Pakistan's ruling party assured President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Saturday that he would be elected to a new five-year term in October before exiled opposition leader Benazir Bhutto returns to the country. ...more

September 16, 2007