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Pakistan's president gives up control of nuclear weapons
Embroiled in a major crisis that threatens his political future, President Asif Ali Zardari has given up control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and has pledged to relinquish his power to dissolve parliament.
Zardari's actions coincided with the expiration of an amnesty today that had shielded him and thousands of other government officials from corruption charges and criminal accusations.
Zardari handed over control of the National Command Authority, which oversees the country's nuclear arsenal, to Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gillani late Friday night. His office said the move was in line with the president's overall goal of transferring more of his powers to the office of the directly elected prime minister.