Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls today for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent.

Pakistan is holding historic elections today, pitting former cricket star Imran Khan against a two-time prime minister once exiled by the army and an incumbent blamed for power blackouts and inflation.

The only son of assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto told hundreds of thousands of supporters yesterday, on the fifth anniversary of his mother’s death, that he would carry forward her legacy, an appearance designed to anoint him as a political heir.

Shehrbano Taseer takes an insider’s look at the 15-year-old girl who may finally turn the tide on extremism

Thousands of Pakistanis, joined by US anti-war activists, are heading towards a militant-riddled tribal region to protest against US drone strikes despite threats of suicide attacks by the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan’s top court has dismissed the prime minister ushering in a new round of political turmoil.

Pakistan’s prime minister has appealed for support from parliament in a stand-off between his beleaguered government and the armed forces, saying MPs had to choose between “democracy and dictatorship”.

Suspected gang members have killed 39 people in two days in Pakistan’s largest city, with many of the victims tortured, shot and stuffed in sacks which were dumped on the streets, officials said today.

THE second-largest member of Pakistan’s ruling coalition reversed its decision to join the opposition yesterday, averting the potential collapse of the government in this nuclear-armed nation.

The governor of Pakistan’s dominant province shot dead by a bodyguard will be buried today amid tight security.

THE governor of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most populous province was shot dead in the capital yesterday by one of his own guards, who later told interrogators that he was angry about the politician’s stance against the country’s blasphemy law, officials said.

The governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province was shot dead by one of his guards today apparently for criticising the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.

Pakistan’s prime minister is trying to keep his government from collapsing after a key party said it was quitting the ruling coalition, leaving the government short of majority support in parliament.

Pakistan’s ruling party struggled to keep its grip on power today after a coalition partner said it would join the opposition and threatened to bring the government down.

Gunmen have opened fire in a commercial market in Karachi, killing 11 people and raising the death toll from political violence to 51, a Pakistani official said.

Gangs torched vehicles and a shop in Pakistan’s largest city today after a senior politician from the local ruling party was stabbed to death in London.

The largest city in Pakistan came to a near-halt today amid fears of violence after the murder in London of a senior politician from Karachi’s ruling party.

PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari returned yesterday to flood-ravaged Pakistan, where he faced a storm of criticism for visiting Europe as his country was gripped by what his government called the nation’s worst natural disaster.

POOR Pakistan: only on the cricket field does it ever seem to have any luck.

Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari returned to his flood-ravaged country and a storm of criticism today for visiting Europe amid the nation’s worst natural disaster.

Pakistan’s government should negotiate with the country’s Taliban militants to ease the relentless security crisis in the nuclear-armed, US-allied nation, the top opposition leader said.

Pakistan’s president turned over command of the country’s nuclear arsenal to his political ally the prime minister and signalled he was ready to shed more power amid growing pressure to resign.

A United Nations team visited Pakistan’s battle-scarred Swat Valley today as hundreds of refugees made their way back to the troubled area.

A UN fact-finding commission began an inquiry yesterday into the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif today warned that the country was moving towards a state of political crisis.

Tens of thousands gathered at the mausoleum of Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on the eve of the first anniversary of her assassination.

MPs began casting votes today in Pakistan’s presidential election in which the favourite by far is the scandal-tainted pro-US widower of murdered ex-PM Benazir Bhutto.

Asif Ali Zardari, the head of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, will likely take over the country’s presidency when legislators meet this weekend to select a successor to former president, Pervez Musharraf.

PAKISTAN’S main ruling party have proposed the widower of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto as Pakistan’s next president.

United Nations supremo Ban Ki-moon said today he would set up an independent commission to identify Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassins “with a view to bring them to justice”.

Pakistan said today that it has asked the United Nations to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Allies of president Pervez Musharraf withdrew their candidate for Pakistan’s prime minister as a “good will gesture” to followers of murdered opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who said they would announce their choice for the job later today.

PAKISTANIS will learn who their next prime minister will be on Monday, when the National Assembly reconvenes to elect the leader of the incoming coalition government.

Legislators elected Pakistan’s first female speaker of parliament yesterday, seating a follower — and lookalike — of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The party of slain Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto today nominated a close associate of her widower to be parliament’s first female speaker, but divisions remained over who should be the next prime minister.

Pakistan’s election winners sealed an agreement today to form a coalition government and said parliament would restore judges ousted by President Pervez Musharraf – further clouding the US-allied leader’s political future.

A suicide bomber attacked an anti al-Qaida peace meeting attended by thousands of tribe members in north-western Pakistan today, killing at least 40 people in the third suicide blast in the region in as many days.

Pakistan’s two main opposition parties say they will form a new government after their victory in elections this week.

PAKISTAN’S two main opposition parties announced yesterday they would form a new government together after their victory over President Pervez Musharraf’s allies in elections this week.

The focus of Pakistan’s opposition to President Pervez Musharraf returned to the country’s lawyers today.

The rule of Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf was under threat today after opposition parties roundly defeated his allies in parliamentary elections.

Pakistan’s president appealed for national unity after early unofficial returns showed the opposition heading towards victory today in parliamentary elections that could threaten his rule eight years after he seized power in a military coup.

Vote counting began tonight in Pakistan’s parliamentary elections which passed off relatively peacefully despite fears of sabotage by Islamic militants.

Voting has begun today in the postponed Pakistan elections after opposition politicians voiced concerns about vote rigging.