Radio Mashaal - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Friday, May 24, 2013

Latest Pakistan News

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled policy changes regarding counterterrorism and drone strikes, Guantanamo Bay, and an end to America's "war footing" in a major address at National Defense University in Washington on May 23.

Obama Charts New Counterterrorism Course, Drone Curbs

President Barack Obama sets a new course in U.S. counterterrorism efforts in a major national security speech. More

WATCH: Bomb Kills At Least 12 In Pakistan's Southwest

Bomb Kills 12 In Pakistan

Police in Pakistan say a bomb planted on a vehicle in the southwest of the country has killed 12 people, including 11 police officers. More

A video grab shows Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a CIA drone strike on September 30, 2011.

Obama To Speak About Drones

U.S. President Barack Obama is due to deliver a major speech on May 23 on counterterrorism and the U.S. administration's drone program. More

Court Rejects Bail For Musharraf

A court in Pakistan has refused bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a case related to the detention of judges in 2007. More

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang (file photo)

Chinese PM Visits Pakistan

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang is in Pakistan for a two-day visit aimed at bolstering economic and strategic cooperation. More

More Pakistan News

Latest Blog Posts

Incoming Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wipes his brow during a meeting with journalists at his house on the outskirts of Lahore on May 13.

Rashid On Sharif: 'I Don't Think The Military Will Be A Hindrance To Him'

Pakistan's Prime Minister-designate Nawaz Sharif is seen as keen on improving relations with the country's neighbors. In an interview with RFE/RL correspondent Abubakar Siddique, Pakistani author Ahmed Rashid weighed in on Sharif's likely approach to relations with Pakistan's neighbors and the United States. More

A voter shows his inked thumb in the Khyber tribal district after casting his ballot.

Live Blog: Pakistan Elections

Blog Archive

Features & Commentary

President Barack Obama said the U.S. now has stricter standards for targeting suspected terrorists with drone strikes.

Intelligence Analyst: Obama Made 'A Promise He Can't Keep'

Anthony Cordesman is a former director of intelligence assessment for the U.S. secretary of defense’s office and a recipient of the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal. He now holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He gave RFE/RL Washington Bureau Chief Heather Maher his thoughts about President Barack Obama’s May 23 national security speech.

Amnesty International says abusive governments can no longer use the issue of sovereignty to justify their actions.

Amnesty Report Notes Worldwide Abuses, As Well As Courage Of Activists

In a new report, the global rights group Amnesty International documents abuses in 159 countries and territories that it says were "inflicted by those in power on those who stand in the way of their vested interests."

Ahmadi community members carry a coffin during a funeral ceremony in 2010 for victims of a militant attack on one of the sect

Pakistan's Ahmadis Face Rising Persecution, Violence

One of the many religious minorities whose plight is documented in the latest U.S. State Department report on religious freedom is the Ahmadiyya community, or the Ahmadis.

A map showing the rights of homosexuals around the world (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Interview: In 78 Countries, 'Blind Hatred' Persists Against Homosexuals

What is the state of LGBT rights in the world today? To mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) has released a map charting the rights of homosexuals around the world. The co-secretary general of ILGA, Renato Sabbadini, spoke to RFE/RL's Claire Bigg.

Sharif Seen As Trying To Reorient Pakistan's Foreign Policy

Pakistan's neighbors and global powers have welcomed Nawaz Sharif's victory in the country's May 11 general elections, in the hope that he will stabilize the country and change its external outlook. RFE/RL looks at Sharif's potential foreign policy moves.

Supporters of Nawaz Sharif celebrate with fireworks in Lahore on May 12.

WATCH: Google+ Hangout On Pakistan's Elections

RFE/RL holds a one-hour postelection Google Hangout on the Pakistani elections and what they tell Pakistanis and the world.

Former and soon-to-be Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif speaks to journalists at his house in Raiwind on the outskirts of Lahore on May 13.

Profile: Who Is Nawaz Sharif?

It remains to be seen whether once-and-future Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif can get along with the country's powerful military establishment, which opposes his peace overtures to India.

Sanam Faqeer (right), a transgender candidate in Pakistan

'Third Gender' Competes

Pakistan's May 11 elections will be the first time members of the country's marginalized "third-gender" community will be allowed to vote and run for office. The 500,000-strong community's newfound political rights are just the latest sign of their progress in recent years.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Rawalpindi on May 7. Could Sharif be set to take power again?

Pakistani Campaign Rhetoric More Bark Than Bite?

Pakistan's May 11 parliamentary elections are historic in that they mark the country's first democratic transition of power, but the campaign has been anything but peaceful. How could the acrimonious political atmosphere shape Pakistan's future government?

A Pakistani man walks past electoral posters of Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imran Khan, in Karachi.

A Guide To Pakistan's General Elections

Pakistan's May 11 general elections will help shape the future of a country that faces mounting economic and security challenges, and will determine if the course taken by the previous, secular government will continue.

Radio Mashaal was launched in January 2010 in order to counter a growing number of Islamic extremist radio stations in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the border with Afghanistan.