Suicide attackers tried to kill a leading Pakistani politician today as members of Benazir Bhutto’s political party prepared for critical meetings on whether to boycott January 8 elections following her assassination.

Islamabad's Red Mosque, where a siege against Islamic militants ended in bloodshed two weeks ago when Pakistani troops stormed in, will reopen tomorrow with a new coat of paint - in pale yellow.

THE top-ranking cleric of a radical mosque besieged by government forces in Pakistan’s capital rejected calls for an unconditional surrender yesterday, saying he and his die-hard followers were ready for martyrdom.