High Court Orders Arrest of Pakistani PM for Corruption;
"Populist" Cleric Declares "Revolution"

It's really only a matter of time with Pakistan.

The streets of Pakistan were packed on Tuesday, when hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined the protest called by Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a self-proclaimed revolutionary leader. Indeed, it was to be his day of "revolution."

He likely wasn't expecting help from the country's highest court, but in the middle of the march, the news suddenly broke that the court had ordered the arrest of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on suspicion of corruption and nepotism.

...

The order issued by the Islamabad-based court came following hearings in a corruption case in which Ashraf, who has been prime minister since last June, stands accused of having received bribes in connection with an energy project during his stint as minister of water and power from 2008 to 2011. He is said to have purchased property in London with the money he received.

The only good thing here is that this cleric, at least according to this story, is a "moderate" and his agenda is reformist, not jihad.

But... we'll see.

Observers believe [this sudden-superstar cleric] his expensive campaign is largely being financed by the military. His movement has transformed him from being largely unknown into a political superstar in the space of just a few weeks. Since December, he has been using television and newspaper ads to call on Pakistanis to join him on a "long march" against corruption and in favor of election reform.

The trouble with "election reform" in a country of jihadists is that they might actually get to pick their jihadi leader.

I'm very suspicious this guy is a Clean Front for dirty actors.

posted by Ace at 07:13 PM

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