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Problems in Pakistan
Pakistan is in the middle of a political crisis and that has the United States government very, very worried. President Pervez Musharraf has declared a state of emergency. He has suspended the Pakistan's constitution, fired judges and postponed parliamentary elections-all steps that should be illegal in a country that is supposed to be a democracy. He said the steps were necessary to fight Islamic extremists in his country.
Musharraf has been a strong ally of the US in its fight against terrorism. When President Bush sent troops into Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, Pakistan supported him. Since then, Musharraf has remained loyal while the fighting has continued in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Musharraf, who is also the head of Pakistan's army, has silenced much of his political opposition, at times using force. Human rights activists and political opponents have been jailed while some TV news channels have been blacked out.
President Bush and other world leaders have called on Musharraf to release his grip and give up some of his uncontested power. In response to criticism of his actions, Musharraf has made some compromises. His main political opponent, Benazir Bhutto, was recently released from her house arrest. And Musharraf promised to hold an election on January 9th. But people worry that those elections will not be truly fair unless he first gives up his power.
I'm Michelle and that's what happened in the world this week.
Can you locate the countries in my story in this week's Pinpoint?
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