Pakistan’s Supreme Court dealt a blow to many in the country’s ruling elite Friday by reopening corruption cases against “thousands of politicians,” according to The New York Times, and calling for dozens of those officials to appear before the courts. Included on the list was President Asif Ali Zardari, but his position grants him immunity against prosecution.
As Benazir Bhutto’s body was laid to rest Friday, the mystery about her murder remained unresolved, and outbursts of violence rippled throughout Pakistan in reaction to her death. Members of her political party said security lapses made her an easy target, while an official of Pervez Musharraf’s government claimed she sustained a fatal wound when she struck her head as she ducked inside her armored vehicle. Of course, al-Qaida is on the short list of suspects in Bhutto’s assassination.