In the approach to the elections Durrani has announced that they are setting up a “non-political” caretaker government to oversee functions, and to ensure that the elections come off ok . Many assembly terms will be up at that point and without a quorum it’s necessary to appoint the interim or caretaker PM and ministers. Story at Daily Times.
The PPP members across the country are bursting with joy that Benazir Bhutto will return tomorrow, and they are flocking in the thousands to Karachi to greet her. Karachi is a power base for the PPP party. Story at Daily Times.
In the frontiers the violence has died down and the army has lifted the curfew after ten days in Mirali. They dispute that there is a ceasefire, and there was a short exchange of fire with the Taliban attacking ineffectively with rockets and the military responding with mortar fire. No casualties were reported either side after the exchange. Story at Daily Times.
There’s a lot more detail on the refugees returning to the area at the Pakistan Observer, and markets reopening as a grand tribal jirga will try to re-estabalish peace. Interim the spokesperson for the army states that there will be no leniency for “the miscreants” [editor: this is the term most often used to designate terrorists without naming groups in Pakistan] In Mian Mandi, Mohmand agency, five CD shops were blown up, most likely by TNSM followers of Fazlullah.
Meanwhile the rest of the country is peaceful in the wake of the Eid holiday.