Punjab news stories on Newser

Pakistani Governor Killed by Own Guard

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:11:50 CST

A key Pakistani governor was gunned down by his own bodyguard today in Islamabad, in the biggest assassination the violence-wracked country has endured since Benazir Bhutto's slaying three years ago. Salman Taseer, Punjab province's governor and a key ally of President Asif Ali Zardari, was gunned down as he got...

Pakistan Blasts Kill 42 at Sufi Shrine

Rob Quinn — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:22:10 CDT

Twin suicide blasts killed at least 42 people at a Sufi shrine in Lahore, Pakistan, late yesterday. At least 175 people were injured. Thousands were visiting the shrine, which holds the remains of a saint revered by followers of Islam's mystical tradition, the BBC reports. Many blamed the attack on...

India Riots Bust Out After Austria Temple Killing

Jason Farago — Mon, 25 May 2009 07:07:42 CDT

Riots have broken out in dozens of cities across the Indian state of Punjab after a Sikh guru was killed in a temple in Austria yesterday. Thousands of protesters have damaged public property and set trains on fire, and in one city four people were injured when police fired on...

Islamic Schools Fill Pakistani Gaps—and Breed Militants

Kevin Spak — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:14:21 CDT

Pakistan’s education system is so dysfunctional that for many rural children, Islamic schools are the only option, the New York Times reports. The growth of madrasas, which teach little besides Koran memorization, is especially pronounced in places like southern Punjab, home to half of the country's at least 12,000...

Insurgents Join Forces in Pakistani Heartland

Matt Cantor — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:39:00 CDT

The Taliban is joining forces with local militant groups in the key province of Punjab, where more than half of Pakistanis live, the New York Times reports. Officials say the alliance is a major threat to national and regional stability, and was responsible for last month’s cricket-team attack, among others....

Obama Sorry for Hillary Memo

Peter Fearon — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:02:45 CDT

Barack Obama has apologized for a campaign memo that vilified Hillary Clinton for her financial ties to India and her campaign efforts among Indian Americans. Particularly offensive was a reference to Clinton's affiliation as "(D-Punjab)"; aimed to link her to the sore subject of outsourcing. Obama called it a "dumb...