A day after president Pervez Musharraf reasserted control over Pakistan by declaring a state of emergency, security forces patrolled the streets of the country Sunday, rounding up key critics of the government.
According to reports, hundreds of people, including opposition politicians and lawyers who took part in vocal protests against Musharraf's rule earlier this year, are in custody. Among them: cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and Javed Hashmi, acting chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party of exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. At least one television station, Aaj TV, was raided.
"We are back to square one," Dawn newspaper said in an editorial. "Back to Oct. 12, 1999. All the gains over the years have gone down the drain," it said, referring to the date Musharraf took control of Pakistan.
Nov. 3 "will go down as another dark day in Pakistan's political and constitutional history," The News said Sunday, joining the international condemnation of the crackdown.
Musharraf decided to declare an emergency and install a provisional constitution to protect Pakistan's interests, he said Saturday, addressing the nation on state-owned television. The move would ensure Pakistan's transition to democracy won't be derailed by rising terrorism and extremism.
Critics say there's another reason for the decision. Musharraf's term as president expires on Nov. 15 and the Supreme Court was scheduled to rule this month if he is eligible for another term as president. He won a presidential election by a majority in October. The latest move is likely to stall general elections scheduled for January.
Eight Supreme Court judges rejected the emergency as unconstitutional. Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhry was removed from office and taken away by the military to an unknown location, reports said. Musharraf appointed a new chief justice. He accused the courts of releasing terrorists, and charged them with fostering a breakdown of law and order. The supreme court building was surrounded by soldiers.
The government shut down the transmission of private media channels and cut telephone services in the capital Islamabad. Justifying a ban on TV stations, Musharraf accused the media of spreading "negativism." He restricted them from expressing any opinion "prejudicial" to himself or to Pakistan.
The bulk of the president's address was in Urdu, but he switched to English toward the end to make an appeal to Pakistan's "friends in the West--the U.S., the European Union and the Commonwealth." Musharraf asked for understanding of the "critical situation" the nation was in.
"Please do not expect or demand your level of democracy, which you learned over a number of centuries. Please also do not demand or expect your number of civil rights, human rights or civil liberties … Please give us time. For me and every Pakistani, Pakistan comes first," Musharraf said, comparing his actions with those of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln to preserve the union.
A wave of Islamist militancy in the country claimed hundreds of lives in the last few weeks. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan last month was marked by a suicide bombing which killed 139 people. After news of the emergency broke Saturday, Bhutto returned to Pakistan from Dubai.
She was welcomed by throngs of supporters when she arrived in the business district of Karachi. After Musharraf's address, she said the president had imposed martial law by putting the constitution in abeyance and taking complete control of the nation.
"This is a situation worse than an emergency. The people of Pakistan will not accept this," Bhutto said, accusing Musharraf of taking the step to pre-empt a likely court ruling against his presidency.
Former Prime Minister Sharif also slammed the move. He'd attempted to return to Pakistan in September, but was deported to Saudi Arabia by the general. "We have not witnessed such a grave situation in the 60 years of Pakistan's history," Sharif told an Indian news channel.
Some Pakistani citizens indicated the move could help the nation, though it was a blow for civil rights. "It's very quiet on the streets of Karachi," Mahim Rehman, head of research at DLA Capital, said late Saturday. "Over the last week, we had an indication this could happen because of the worsening law and order situation and speculation that the Supreme Court would rule against Musharraf's presidency. If Musharraf seems to be in control again, that will be seen a positive sign." Musharraf said a rise in extremism was hurting foreign investment.
Musharraf has been under pressure from the international community to restore democracy through nationwide elections. International reaction to the crackdown was swift.
"It's highly regrettable that Pakistan's president has declared a state of martial law," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday. "The U.S. does not support extra constitutional measures." American officials reportedly made requests to Musharraf not to impose emergency rule this week, indicating it could jeopardize U.S. financial support for his military.
"We regret the difficult times that Pakistan is passing through," neighboring India's external affairs ministry said in a statement. "We trust that conditions of normalcy will soon return, permitting Pakistan's transition to stability and democracy to continue."
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "We recognize the threat to peace and security faced by the country, but its future rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism. I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted [Saturday], which will take Pakistan further from these goals."
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Activists detained in Pakistan crackdown
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- President Gen. Pervez Musharraf cracked down hard on opponents today, the second day of emergency rule in the country, and his government suggested that scheduled elections could be put off for as long as a year.
Hundreds of political activists, senior judges and human-rights leaders were rounded up by police. The country's deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, was confined to his cordoned-off home, with no one allowed to approach.
Private news channels remained off the air and were told they would be subject to strict new regulations if and when they resumed broadcasting.
"He has a long agenda, a long list," said Ahsan Iqbal, an opposition party leader, referring to Musharraf.
Iqbal, a senior member of the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, fled into hiding just steps ahead of police who came to his home to arrest him.
"This is not going to end any time soon," he said. "Whether in prison or not, it is as if we are all in jail."
Some of the country's most venerable jurists and human-rights activists were among those rounded up and roughly bundled into police vans.
They included Munir Malik, a senior attorney who has been at the forefront of a pro-democracy movement that swelled in recent months, and Asma Jehangir, a distinguished lawyer who leads the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Up to 200 policemen stormed the office of the rights commission in the eastern city of Lahore, arresting all the group's senior staff.
Musharraf, whose popularity and prestige have nose-dived this year, declared a state of emergency on Saturday evening, granting himself extraordinary powers to suppress dissent.
The Pakistani leader's aides said no decision had been reached on how long the state of emergency might last.
"We will see what is necessary," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters.
The emergency declaration was ostensibly in response to deteriorating security in the face of an Islamist insurgency and a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistani cities.
But most observers were united in the view that Musharraf acted to preempt a potential legal ruling invalidating his election to another term as president while retaining his position as military chief.
The general had promised to step down as head of the army once he was inaugurated to a second presidential term, but there appears to be no prospect of that happening now.
"Musharraf's Second Coup," read the headline in the independent Dawn newspaper. The general seized power in a 1999 coup.
Musharraf has quickly set about remaking the judiciary, only allowing judges who swear allegiance to retain their posts. Five of the 19-member Supreme Court bench have done so; the rest refused.
The high court was to have ruled this week on whether Musharraf's Oct. 6 reelection by lawmakers was valid. That case is now off the docket, court officials said.
Some small street protests broke out today. But most opposition leaders, at least for the time being, refrained from calling supporters into the streets, apparently fearing a bloodbath. Police used batons to break up one gathering of several dozen protesters not far from the presidential compound.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who returned to the country from a brief visit to Dubai just as the emergency order was taking effect, remained largely out of sight in her residential and office compound in the port city of Karachi.
In Pakistan's large cities, many markets and businesses were open as usual. But paramilitary troops patrolled in Islamabad, sealing off most government buildings and other sensitive locations such as the private television channels.
Aziz, the prime minister, acknowledged that about 500 people were being held in what he described as preventive detention. Activists said they believed the figure was much higher.
Hundreds of political activists, senior judges and human-rights leaders were rounded up by police. The country's deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, was confined to his cordoned-off home, with no one allowed to approach.
Private news channels remained off the air and were told they would be subject to strict new regulations if and when they resumed broadcasting.
"He has a long agenda, a long list," said Ahsan Iqbal, an opposition party leader, referring to Musharraf.
Iqbal, a senior member of the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, fled into hiding just steps ahead of police who came to his home to arrest him.
"This is not going to end any time soon," he said. "Whether in prison or not, it is as if we are all in jail."
Some of the country's most venerable jurists and human-rights activists were among those rounded up and roughly bundled into police vans.
They included Munir Malik, a senior attorney who has been at the forefront of a pro-democracy movement that swelled in recent months, and Asma Jehangir, a distinguished lawyer who leads the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Up to 200 policemen stormed the office of the rights commission in the eastern city of Lahore, arresting all the group's senior staff.
Musharraf, whose popularity and prestige have nose-dived this year, declared a state of emergency on Saturday evening, granting himself extraordinary powers to suppress dissent.
The Pakistani leader's aides said no decision had been reached on how long the state of emergency might last.
"We will see what is necessary," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters.
The emergency declaration was ostensibly in response to deteriorating security in the face of an Islamist insurgency and a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistani cities.
But most observers were united in the view that Musharraf acted to preempt a potential legal ruling invalidating his election to another term as president while retaining his position as military chief.
The general had promised to step down as head of the army once he was inaugurated to a second presidential term, but there appears to be no prospect of that happening now.
"Musharraf's Second Coup," read the headline in the independent Dawn newspaper. The general seized power in a 1999 coup.
Musharraf has quickly set about remaking the judiciary, only allowing judges who swear allegiance to retain their posts. Five of the 19-member Supreme Court bench have done so; the rest refused.
The high court was to have ruled this week on whether Musharraf's Oct. 6 reelection by lawmakers was valid. That case is now off the docket, court officials said.
Some small street protests broke out today. But most opposition leaders, at least for the time being, refrained from calling supporters into the streets, apparently fearing a bloodbath. Police used batons to break up one gathering of several dozen protesters not far from the presidential compound.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who returned to the country from a brief visit to Dubai just as the emergency order was taking effect, remained largely out of sight in her residential and office compound in the port city of Karachi.
In Pakistan's large cities, many markets and businesses were open as usual. But paramilitary troops patrolled in Islamabad, sealing off most government buildings and other sensitive locations such as the private television channels.
Aziz, the prime minister, acknowledged that about 500 people were being held in what he described as preventive detention. Activists said they believed the figure was much higher.
Musharraf Consolidates His Control With Arrests
Bhutto spent today at her residence in Karachi. Leaders of her party, the Pakistan People’s Party, said she would fly to Islamabad to hold talks with other opposition parties about how to proceed. But Bhutto did not show up here.
In interviews with foreign television channels, Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan after years in exile in October with the backing of the United States, appealed for free and fair elections. But sympathizers to her cause said her options for influencing the situation appeared limited.
Organizing large protests under emergency rule, and after the bomb attack on her arrival procession Oct. 18 that killed 140 people, would be difficult, said Najem Sethi, the editor in chief of The Daily Times.
“Verbally she will be very critical,” Sethi said. “But she is not going to participate in protests. She’s going to make a token representation. Behind the scenes she will work with the government for elections as soon as possible.”
Musharraf summoned foreign diplomats, including the U.S. ambassador, Anne Patterson, to a meeting Sunday to explain the reasons for his action, according to diplomats.
The emergency rule came into force less than 24 hours after Musharraf met here with the senior United States. military commander in the region, Admiral William Fallon, who warned the Pakistani leader that U.S. military assistance would be in jeopardy if he introduced martial law, diplomats said.
Soon after Musharraf’s emergency decree, Washington officials said it was unlikely that the military aid would be cut. Indeed, the general tailored his decree to stress the necessity of continuing the fight against Islamic extremists sympathetic to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, which may have made it difficult for the United States to back off its commitments.
Musharraf acted just days before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election on Oct. 6.
Among the dozens of lawyers arrested was the president of the Supreme Court bar association, Aitzaz Ahsan, who has opposed Musharraf in legal arguments and in political protests, said Ayesha Tammy Haq, an Islamabad lawyer.
“If you want to take the country away from Talibanization, these are the people who can do it, the secular middle class,” said Haq, as she waited Sunday at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to see Ahsan.
A government spokesman, Tariq Aziz Khan, said the arrests of lawyers were “preventive measures” taken because of a “threat to future law and order.”
In the spring, lawyers spearheaded opposition to Musharraf after he fired the chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The Supreme Court later reinstated Chaudhry, who continued to irritate Musharraf. By the end of last week, the general seemed unsure that the Supreme Court would rule favorably on his re-election.
Under the emergency declaration, the Supreme Court justices were ordered to take an oath to abide by a “provisional constitutional order” that replaces the country’s existing Constitution. Seven justices rejected the order Saturday night, according to an aide to Chaudhry.
Hours later, the state-run news media reported that three justices generally seen as supporting Musharraf had taken an oath to uphold the emergency measure. And it was announced that Chaudhry had been replaced by a pro-government member of the Supreme Court bench, Abdul Hamid Doger, as chief justice.
The director of the private television channel Aaj TV, Wamiq Zuberi, said a magistrate accompanied by five vans of gun-toting police officers showed up at the channel’s studios here Saturday night. They wanted to confiscate the channel’s outdoor broadcasting van, Zuberi said. But the magistrate did not have a warrant, and the workers at the studio stood their ground, forcing the officials to leave, Zuberi said.
Aziz, the prime minister, said today that the government planned to work on “a code of conduct” for broadcasters.
Representatives of several of the major opposition parties said their workers had been arrested. Ahsan Iqbal, the secretary for information of the Muslim League party, headed by the exiled politician Nawaz Sharif, said that eight party members had been arrested in the remote district of Narowal on the border with India.
In interviews with foreign television channels, Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan after years in exile in October with the backing of the United States, appealed for free and fair elections. But sympathizers to her cause said her options for influencing the situation appeared limited.
Organizing large protests under emergency rule, and after the bomb attack on her arrival procession Oct. 18 that killed 140 people, would be difficult, said Najem Sethi, the editor in chief of The Daily Times.
“Verbally she will be very critical,” Sethi said. “But she is not going to participate in protests. She’s going to make a token representation. Behind the scenes she will work with the government for elections as soon as possible.”
Musharraf summoned foreign diplomats, including the U.S. ambassador, Anne Patterson, to a meeting Sunday to explain the reasons for his action, according to diplomats.
The emergency rule came into force less than 24 hours after Musharraf met here with the senior United States. military commander in the region, Admiral William Fallon, who warned the Pakistani leader that U.S. military assistance would be in jeopardy if he introduced martial law, diplomats said.
Soon after Musharraf’s emergency decree, Washington officials said it was unlikely that the military aid would be cut. Indeed, the general tailored his decree to stress the necessity of continuing the fight against Islamic extremists sympathetic to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, which may have made it difficult for the United States to back off its commitments.
Musharraf acted just days before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election on Oct. 6.
Among the dozens of lawyers arrested was the president of the Supreme Court bar association, Aitzaz Ahsan, who has opposed Musharraf in legal arguments and in political protests, said Ayesha Tammy Haq, an Islamabad lawyer.
“If you want to take the country away from Talibanization, these are the people who can do it, the secular middle class,” said Haq, as she waited Sunday at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to see Ahsan.
A government spokesman, Tariq Aziz Khan, said the arrests of lawyers were “preventive measures” taken because of a “threat to future law and order.”
In the spring, lawyers spearheaded opposition to Musharraf after he fired the chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The Supreme Court later reinstated Chaudhry, who continued to irritate Musharraf. By the end of last week, the general seemed unsure that the Supreme Court would rule favorably on his re-election.
Under the emergency declaration, the Supreme Court justices were ordered to take an oath to abide by a “provisional constitutional order” that replaces the country’s existing Constitution. Seven justices rejected the order Saturday night, according to an aide to Chaudhry.
Hours later, the state-run news media reported that three justices generally seen as supporting Musharraf had taken an oath to uphold the emergency measure. And it was announced that Chaudhry had been replaced by a pro-government member of the Supreme Court bench, Abdul Hamid Doger, as chief justice.
The director of the private television channel Aaj TV, Wamiq Zuberi, said a magistrate accompanied by five vans of gun-toting police officers showed up at the channel’s studios here Saturday night. They wanted to confiscate the channel’s outdoor broadcasting van, Zuberi said. But the magistrate did not have a warrant, and the workers at the studio stood their ground, forcing the officials to leave, Zuberi said.
Aziz, the prime minister, said today that the government planned to work on “a code of conduct” for broadcasters.
Representatives of several of the major opposition parties said their workers had been arrested. Ahsan Iqbal, the secretary for information of the Muslim League party, headed by the exiled politician Nawaz Sharif, said that eight party members had been arrested in the remote district of Narowal on the border with India.
West urges Pakistan to lift martial law, return to democracy
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was under fire at home and abroad Sunday after declaring an indefinite state of emergency that the West is calling a blow to democracy.
Pakistani Information Minister Tariq Azim Khan said the move -- which suspends the constitution and expands Musharraf's powers -- was necessary because "things had gone totally haywire."
Musharraf made the declaration Saturday in reaction to what he said was judicial activism by the state's high court. Musharraf has been tussling with the Supreme Court since at least March, when he removed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, citing judicial misconduct.
The Supreme Court -- which reinstated Chaudhry in July in what many called a political blow to Musharraf -- was amid hearing arguments from opposition leaders who said that Musharraf's victory in the October elections should be overturned because Musharraf was not eligible to serve a third term while heading the country's military.
Khan said parliamentary elections slated for January have been postponed indefinitely, but Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said later no such decision had been made.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that Musharraf did not consult Washington before declaring the state of emergency, a move she called "highly regrettable." The U.S. told the Pakistani leadership before Saturday that it does not support "extra-constitutional means," she said. Video Watch why Rice says she is disappointed with Musharraf's actions »
"It is in the best interest of Pakistan and in the best interest of the Pakistani people for there to be a prompt return to a constitutional course, for there to be an affirmation that elections will be held for a new parliament, and for all parties to act with restraint in what is obviously a very difficult situation," she said.
Don't Miss
* Musharraf declares emergency
* PM: State of emergency indefinite
* Bhutto decries 'dictatorship'
* Pakistani police storm TV station
Later in the day, Rice said the U.S. would review its financial aid package to Pakistan, a key ally in the war on terror. She conceded the matter would be complicated because much of the aid goes to counterterrorism.
Javier Solana, foreign policy chief for the 27-nation European Union, also implored Musharraf to keep the January elections on track. Solana told The Associated Press he realizes Pakistan is facing difficulties in its political and security situations, but "any deviation from the general democratic process cannot be a solution."
Solana, in a statement, urged Musharraf "to abide by the rule of law, notably to respect the boundaries of the constitution" and asked that political parties show "restraint to facilitate a quick return to normalcy."
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also expressed concerns about the state of emergency, saying Pakistan's future "rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism."
As part of the state of emergency, the Pakistani government has a list of about 1,500 opposition figures, mostly activists and lawyers to be rounded up, according to police sources and witnesses. Chaudhry is one of seven Supreme Court judges placed under house arrest after the court declared Musharraf's state of emergency illegal under the constitution.
Shortly after the court ruling, troops went to Chaudhry's office and told him he was fired, the judge's office said. Massive protests ensued after Chaudhry was removed from the bench earlier this year. See a timeline of events leading up to the state of emergency »
The head of Pakistan's human rights commission, Asma Jahangir, said she, too, was under house arrest and that Musharraf "has lost his marbles."
Khan, the information minister, said the house arrests are "a very temporary measure" and were targeting "people who have been causing law and order situations."
Pakistanis reacted to the country's turmoil Sunday with a mixture of anger and apathy, according to AP.
Said factory worker Faisal Sayed, "Pakistan is bad because of one person: Musharraf. He has ruined our country."
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But day laborer Togul Khan, 38, had a more cynical outlook as he waited for work on an Islamabad street corner, AP reported.
"What's the point of talking about this?" he asked. "The politicians have lifted Pakistan into the sky and spun it round before bringing it crashing down to earth -- but nothing will change for us." E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend
Pakistani Information Minister Tariq Azim Khan said the move -- which suspends the constitution and expands Musharraf's powers -- was necessary because "things had gone totally haywire."
Musharraf made the declaration Saturday in reaction to what he said was judicial activism by the state's high court. Musharraf has been tussling with the Supreme Court since at least March, when he removed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, citing judicial misconduct.
The Supreme Court -- which reinstated Chaudhry in July in what many called a political blow to Musharraf -- was amid hearing arguments from opposition leaders who said that Musharraf's victory in the October elections should be overturned because Musharraf was not eligible to serve a third term while heading the country's military.
Khan said parliamentary elections slated for January have been postponed indefinitely, but Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said later no such decision had been made.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that Musharraf did not consult Washington before declaring the state of emergency, a move she called "highly regrettable." The U.S. told the Pakistani leadership before Saturday that it does not support "extra-constitutional means," she said. Video Watch why Rice says she is disappointed with Musharraf's actions »
"It is in the best interest of Pakistan and in the best interest of the Pakistani people for there to be a prompt return to a constitutional course, for there to be an affirmation that elections will be held for a new parliament, and for all parties to act with restraint in what is obviously a very difficult situation," she said.
Don't Miss
* Musharraf declares emergency
* PM: State of emergency indefinite
* Bhutto decries 'dictatorship'
* Pakistani police storm TV station
Later in the day, Rice said the U.S. would review its financial aid package to Pakistan, a key ally in the war on terror. She conceded the matter would be complicated because much of the aid goes to counterterrorism.
Javier Solana, foreign policy chief for the 27-nation European Union, also implored Musharraf to keep the January elections on track. Solana told The Associated Press he realizes Pakistan is facing difficulties in its political and security situations, but "any deviation from the general democratic process cannot be a solution."
Solana, in a statement, urged Musharraf "to abide by the rule of law, notably to respect the boundaries of the constitution" and asked that political parties show "restraint to facilitate a quick return to normalcy."
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also expressed concerns about the state of emergency, saying Pakistan's future "rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism."
As part of the state of emergency, the Pakistani government has a list of about 1,500 opposition figures, mostly activists and lawyers to be rounded up, according to police sources and witnesses. Chaudhry is one of seven Supreme Court judges placed under house arrest after the court declared Musharraf's state of emergency illegal under the constitution.
Shortly after the court ruling, troops went to Chaudhry's office and told him he was fired, the judge's office said. Massive protests ensued after Chaudhry was removed from the bench earlier this year. See a timeline of events leading up to the state of emergency »
The head of Pakistan's human rights commission, Asma Jahangir, said she, too, was under house arrest and that Musharraf "has lost his marbles."
Khan, the information minister, said the house arrests are "a very temporary measure" and were targeting "people who have been causing law and order situations."
Pakistanis reacted to the country's turmoil Sunday with a mixture of anger and apathy, according to AP.
Said factory worker Faisal Sayed, "Pakistan is bad because of one person: Musharraf. He has ruined our country."
advertisement
But day laborer Togul Khan, 38, had a more cynical outlook as he waited for work on an Islamabad street corner, AP reported.
"What's the point of talking about this?" he asked. "The politicians have lifted Pakistan into the sky and spun it round before bringing it crashing down to earth -- but nothing will change for us." E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend
Saturday, November 3, 2007
‘What Pak has today is martial law’
Has General Pervez Musharraf dropped the mask that had made him a favourite of the West: a military ruler willing to live with a free media and a relatively freer judiciary?
The 1973 Constitution of Pakistan empowers only the President to promulgate Emergency under which certain powers of the provinces get transferred to the federal government. It also enables the ruling dispensation to extend the life of the national assembly by a year.
But for reasons best known to him, Musharraf has issued a provisional constitutional order in his capacity as the Chief of the Army Staff. Opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman points out that what Pakistan has today is de facto martial law. “If it were an Emergency, how could it mean suspension of the very Constitution under which it has been imposed?” wondered an Islamabad-based lawyer.
From initial reports, it is obvious that the brunt of the General’s move has been borne by the judiciary and the media. Private TV channels have been taken off air, troops have been deployed at the Supreme Court and Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP who fought Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary’s case has been placed under arrest.
Ahsan is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
These steps, if taken under the so-called emergency powers, fly in the face of a 1998 Supreme Court judgement. On imposition of emergency after the 1998 nuclear tests in India and Pakistan that triggered sanctions against Islamabad, the Court had upheld the Government’s action barring the suspension of fundamental rights.
Against this backdrop, the clampdown on the press by the Musharraf regime only reinforces the impression that Pakistan could be under martial law the General had scrupulously avoided imposing all these years to distinguish himself from the likes of Zia-ul-Haq. In fact, MQM chief Altaf Hussain often cited this dissimilarity to justify his support of Musharraf.
By the same logic, this writer had once asked Asif Zardari whether he would describe Musharraf as a benign military ruler. In response Benazir Bhutto’s husband had said: “It is a charade to deny the democratic forces the kind of audience they always had in the West during military rule in Pakistan.’’
Ironically, the departure of Zardari’s spouse for Dubai earlier this week was the first indication of Musharraf contemplating suspension of return to democracy. There is indeed a flip side to Musharraf’s seemingly unpopular decision. Terrorist violence is on the rise and the morale of Pakistani troops abysmally low. The General desperately needed to show that he was fighting back the jehadis.
But the first impression is that of a blow being dealt to the forces of democracy.
The 1973 Constitution of Pakistan empowers only the President to promulgate Emergency under which certain powers of the provinces get transferred to the federal government. It also enables the ruling dispensation to extend the life of the national assembly by a year.
But for reasons best known to him, Musharraf has issued a provisional constitutional order in his capacity as the Chief of the Army Staff. Opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman points out that what Pakistan has today is de facto martial law. “If it were an Emergency, how could it mean suspension of the very Constitution under which it has been imposed?” wondered an Islamabad-based lawyer.
From initial reports, it is obvious that the brunt of the General’s move has been borne by the judiciary and the media. Private TV channels have been taken off air, troops have been deployed at the Supreme Court and Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP who fought Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary’s case has been placed under arrest.
Ahsan is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
These steps, if taken under the so-called emergency powers, fly in the face of a 1998 Supreme Court judgement. On imposition of emergency after the 1998 nuclear tests in India and Pakistan that triggered sanctions against Islamabad, the Court had upheld the Government’s action barring the suspension of fundamental rights.
Against this backdrop, the clampdown on the press by the Musharraf regime only reinforces the impression that Pakistan could be under martial law the General had scrupulously avoided imposing all these years to distinguish himself from the likes of Zia-ul-Haq. In fact, MQM chief Altaf Hussain often cited this dissimilarity to justify his support of Musharraf.
By the same logic, this writer had once asked Asif Zardari whether he would describe Musharraf as a benign military ruler. In response Benazir Bhutto’s husband had said: “It is a charade to deny the democratic forces the kind of audience they always had in the West during military rule in Pakistan.’’
Ironically, the departure of Zardari’s spouse for Dubai earlier this week was the first indication of Musharraf contemplating suspension of return to democracy. There is indeed a flip side to Musharraf’s seemingly unpopular decision. Terrorist violence is on the rise and the morale of Pakistani troops abysmally low. The General desperately needed to show that he was fighting back the jehadis.
But the first impression is that of a blow being dealt to the forces of democracy.
Emergency rule for democracy - Musharraf
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said early on Sunday he imposed emergency rule to help complete the transition from military to civilian-led democracy, and appealed to the international community to be understanding.
Musharraf, whose emergency rule proclamation on Saturday cited rising militancy and a hostile judiciary, said Pakistan needed time to reach the level of democracy enjoyed by the West.
"Please do not expect or demand your level of democracy which you learned over a number of centuries. Please give us time," he said in a pre-recorded televised address.
Musharraf, whose emergency rule proclamation on Saturday cited rising militancy and a hostile judiciary, said Pakistan needed time to reach the level of democracy enjoyed by the West.
"Please do not expect or demand your level of democracy which you learned over a number of centuries. Please give us time," he said in a pre-recorded televised address.
Proclamation of Emergency Issued by Gen. Pervez Musharraf
Following is the text of the Proclamation of Emergency declared by General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday, as released by The Associated Press of Pakistan, a state-run news agency.
WHEREAS there is visible ascendancy in the activities of extremists and incidents of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, IED explosions, rocket firing and bomb explosions and the banding together of some militant groups have taken such activities to an unprecedented level of violent intensity posing a grave threat to the life and property of the citizens of Pakistan;
WHEREAS there has also been a spate of attacks on State infrastructure and on law enforcement agencies;
WHEREAS some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism thereby weakening the Government and the nation’s resolve and diluting the efficacy of its actions to control this menace;
WHEREAS there has been increasing interference by some members of the judiciary in government policy, adversely affecting economic growth, in particular;
WHEREAS constant interference in executive functions, including but not limited to the control of terrorist activity, economic policy, price controls, downsizing of corporations and urban planning, has weakened the writ of the government; the police force has been completely demoralized and is fast losing its efficacy to fight terrorism and Intelligence Agencies have been thwarted in their activities and prevented from pursuing terrorists;
WHEREAS some hard core militants, extremists, terrorists and suicide bombers, who were arrested and being investigated were ordered to be released. The persons so released have subsequently been involved in heinous terrorist activities, resulting in loss of human life and property. Militants across the country have, thus, been encouraged while law enforcement agencies subdued;
WHEREAS some judges by overstepping the limits of judicial authority have taken over the executive and legislative functions;
WHEREAS the Government is committed to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law and holds the superior judiciary in high esteem, it is nonetheless of paramount importance that the Honourable Judges confine the scope of their activity to the judicial function and not assume charge of administration;
WHEREAS an important Constitutional institution, the Supreme Judicial Council, has been made entirely irrelevant and non est by a recent order and judges have, thus, made themselves immune from inquiry into their conduct and put themselves beyond accountability;
WHEREAS the humiliating treatment meted to government officials by some members of the judiciary on a routine basis during court proceedings has demoralized the civil bureaucracy and senior government functionaries, to avoid being harassed, prefer inaction;
WHEREAS the law and order situation in the country as well as the economy have been adversely affected and trichotomy of powers eroded;
WHEREAS a situation has thus arisen where the Government of the country cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution and as the Constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures;
AND WHEREAS the situation has been reviewed in meetings with the Prime Minister, Governors of all four Provinces, and with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chiefs of the Armed Forces, Vice-Chief of Army Staff and Corps Commanders of the Pakistan Army;
NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of the said meetings, I General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff, proclaim Emergency throughout Pakistan.
2. I hereby order and proclaim that the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall remain in abeyance.
3. This Proclamation shall come into force at once.
WHEREAS there is visible ascendancy in the activities of extremists and incidents of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, IED explosions, rocket firing and bomb explosions and the banding together of some militant groups have taken such activities to an unprecedented level of violent intensity posing a grave threat to the life and property of the citizens of Pakistan;
WHEREAS there has also been a spate of attacks on State infrastructure and on law enforcement agencies;
WHEREAS some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism thereby weakening the Government and the nation’s resolve and diluting the efficacy of its actions to control this menace;
WHEREAS there has been increasing interference by some members of the judiciary in government policy, adversely affecting economic growth, in particular;
WHEREAS constant interference in executive functions, including but not limited to the control of terrorist activity, economic policy, price controls, downsizing of corporations and urban planning, has weakened the writ of the government; the police force has been completely demoralized and is fast losing its efficacy to fight terrorism and Intelligence Agencies have been thwarted in their activities and prevented from pursuing terrorists;
WHEREAS some hard core militants, extremists, terrorists and suicide bombers, who were arrested and being investigated were ordered to be released. The persons so released have subsequently been involved in heinous terrorist activities, resulting in loss of human life and property. Militants across the country have, thus, been encouraged while law enforcement agencies subdued;
WHEREAS some judges by overstepping the limits of judicial authority have taken over the executive and legislative functions;
WHEREAS the Government is committed to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law and holds the superior judiciary in high esteem, it is nonetheless of paramount importance that the Honourable Judges confine the scope of their activity to the judicial function and not assume charge of administration;
WHEREAS an important Constitutional institution, the Supreme Judicial Council, has been made entirely irrelevant and non est by a recent order and judges have, thus, made themselves immune from inquiry into their conduct and put themselves beyond accountability;
WHEREAS the humiliating treatment meted to government officials by some members of the judiciary on a routine basis during court proceedings has demoralized the civil bureaucracy and senior government functionaries, to avoid being harassed, prefer inaction;
WHEREAS the law and order situation in the country as well as the economy have been adversely affected and trichotomy of powers eroded;
WHEREAS a situation has thus arisen where the Government of the country cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution and as the Constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures;
AND WHEREAS the situation has been reviewed in meetings with the Prime Minister, Governors of all four Provinces, and with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chiefs of the Armed Forces, Vice-Chief of Army Staff and Corps Commanders of the Pakistan Army;
NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of the said meetings, I General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff, proclaim Emergency throughout Pakistan.
2. I hereby order and proclaim that the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall remain in abeyance.
3. This Proclamation shall come into force at once.
Musharraf decries terrorism and judiciary
SLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf addressed the nation on Saturday hours after imposing emergency rule, saying terrorism and extremism had reached their limit and his country's sovereignty was at stake.
Musharraf, whose emergency rule proclamation cited rising militancy and a hostile judiciary, said Pakistan's system of government had become paralysed by judicial interference.
"Pakistan has reached a dangerous point, and is undergoing an internal crisis," he said in a televised address. "Whatever is happening is because of internal disturbances."
Musharraf, whose emergency rule proclamation cited rising militancy and a hostile judiciary, said Pakistan's system of government had become paralysed by judicial interference.
"Pakistan has reached a dangerous point, and is undergoing an internal crisis," he said in a televised address. "Whatever is happening is because of internal disturbances."
How Musharraf's Move Could Backfire
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency Saturday, citing growing militant attacks and interference in government policy by members of the judiciary. But far from a solution to Pakistan's problems, Musharraf's move to consolidate power has plunged the country into a deeper constitutional crisis and is likely to unleash a wave of new attacks by Al Qaeda-inspired militants, further destabilizing a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terror.
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The declaration of a state of emergency by Musharraf, who remains head of the army eight years after seizing power in a bloodless coup, suspended the constitution, blacked out independent television news stations and cut some phone lines. Soldiers and police patrolled parts of Islamabad, the capital.
The emergency declaration came as Pakistan's Supreme Court was expected to rule in the next two weeks on the legality of Musharraf's candidacy for another term as president. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, a thorn in Musharraf's side since the President suspended the judge earlier this year only to see him reinstated after massive public protests, was removed from his job and placed under house arrest. Members of the Supreme Court were required to sign a new provisional constitutional order that would mandate the state of emergency. But most of the justices instead signed a declaration calling the state of emergency illegal. "The Supreme Court was going to rule against him," president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan told TIME by cell phone from jail, where he was taken after being served a month-long detention order. "Constitutionally he [Musharraf] had no right to run as president while staying a general. This is the end of the road for him."
If that prediction is to prove true then much will depend on the reaction of ordinary Pakistanis. Musharraf is deeply unpopular. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out at protests in support of Chaudhry earlier this year. But it's possible that with the ousted chief justice and other anti-Musharraf judicial leaders under arrest popular resentment may not grow sufficiently hot. Another potential rallying point is former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan in October for the first time in eight years as part of a deal with Musharraf that would allow her to run in parliamentary elections early next year. As the leader of the biggest party in Pakistan, it was expected Bhutto would be elected prime minister under Musharraf. But the state of emergency changes that equation again. A London-based spokesman for Bhutto said the former prime minister would lead anti-Musharraf protests. Another former Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif, who briefly tried to return earlier this year only to be almost immediately forced to leave, urged the Pakistani people to rise up against Musharraf.
The state of emergency puts Washington in an increasingly uncomfortable position. The Bush administration has long backed Musharraf as a key ally in the war on terror, while regularly calling for a return to democracy. Musharraf's latest move makes that balancing act harder to keep up. "The U.S. has made clear it does not support extraconstitutional measures because those measures take Pakistan away from the path of democracy and civilian rule," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters soon after the news of the state of emergency broke. "Whatever happens we will be urging a quick return to civilian rule" and a "return to constitutional order and the commitment to free and fair elections."
Lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan says there is no chance of that. "This is the kind of tolerance he has shown for the rule of law in this country," says Ahsan. "Everything he does is illegal. President Musharraf is illegal." But with the independence of Pakistan's highest court now in tatters, it's power, not laws, that matter now.
Related Articles
Storm Clouds Gather for Musharraf
Bomb blasts, insurgency and legal challenges are combining to imperil the prospects that Washington's ally will be able to maintain stability in Pakistan
Preparing For Bhutto
Her followers are happy, but terrorists are gunning for her even as she seeks to work with Musharraf and the military
Putting Musharraf on Hold
He has won reelection even as the Supreme Court put an impediment to his plan to succeed himself. No one thinks the delay will last for long
The declaration of a state of emergency by Musharraf, who remains head of the army eight years after seizing power in a bloodless coup, suspended the constitution, blacked out independent television news stations and cut some phone lines. Soldiers and police patrolled parts of Islamabad, the capital.
The emergency declaration came as Pakistan's Supreme Court was expected to rule in the next two weeks on the legality of Musharraf's candidacy for another term as president. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, a thorn in Musharraf's side since the President suspended the judge earlier this year only to see him reinstated after massive public protests, was removed from his job and placed under house arrest. Members of the Supreme Court were required to sign a new provisional constitutional order that would mandate the state of emergency. But most of the justices instead signed a declaration calling the state of emergency illegal. "The Supreme Court was going to rule against him," president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan told TIME by cell phone from jail, where he was taken after being served a month-long detention order. "Constitutionally he [Musharraf] had no right to run as president while staying a general. This is the end of the road for him."
If that prediction is to prove true then much will depend on the reaction of ordinary Pakistanis. Musharraf is deeply unpopular. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out at protests in support of Chaudhry earlier this year. But it's possible that with the ousted chief justice and other anti-Musharraf judicial leaders under arrest popular resentment may not grow sufficiently hot. Another potential rallying point is former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan in October for the first time in eight years as part of a deal with Musharraf that would allow her to run in parliamentary elections early next year. As the leader of the biggest party in Pakistan, it was expected Bhutto would be elected prime minister under Musharraf. But the state of emergency changes that equation again. A London-based spokesman for Bhutto said the former prime minister would lead anti-Musharraf protests. Another former Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif, who briefly tried to return earlier this year only to be almost immediately forced to leave, urged the Pakistani people to rise up against Musharraf.
The state of emergency puts Washington in an increasingly uncomfortable position. The Bush administration has long backed Musharraf as a key ally in the war on terror, while regularly calling for a return to democracy. Musharraf's latest move makes that balancing act harder to keep up. "The U.S. has made clear it does not support extraconstitutional measures because those measures take Pakistan away from the path of democracy and civilian rule," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters soon after the news of the state of emergency broke. "Whatever happens we will be urging a quick return to civilian rule" and a "return to constitutional order and the commitment to free and fair elections."
Lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan says there is no chance of that. "This is the kind of tolerance he has shown for the rule of law in this country," says Ahsan. "Everything he does is illegal. President Musharraf is illegal." But with the independence of Pakistan's highest court now in tatters, it's power, not laws, that matter now.
Musharraf entrenching army rule in Pakistan-rights group
ISLAMABAD, Nov 3 (Reuters) - A leading human rights group accused President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday of derailing Pakistan's return to civilian-led democracy and entrenching military rule.
Shortly after Musharraf invoked emergency powers and suspended the constitution, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement saying the move was meant to control increasingly independent judges.
"This is a shameless attempt to prevent Pakistanis from enjoying their basic rights under the law and a brazen attempt at muzzling the judiciary," the statement said.
The Supreme Court was in the midst of hearing challenges to Musharraf's Oct 6. re-election by parliament while still army chief, and there had been speculation the general would impose an emergency if the court ruled against him.
HRW also attacked the United States for backing the army chief who seized power in a coup eight years ago and later became a crucial ally after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"U.S. policy on Pakistan has not only been flawed, it now appears to have failed. U.S. support for a coup-maker has only deepened Pakistan's political crisis," the statement said.
The United States has been encouraging Musharraf to guide Pakistan into elections, expected in January, that were supposed to mark a transition to civilian-led democracy.
Pakistan has been ruled by generals for more than half the 60 years since the country was formed following the partition of India.
Shortly after Musharraf invoked emergency powers and suspended the constitution, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement saying the move was meant to control increasingly independent judges.
"This is a shameless attempt to prevent Pakistanis from enjoying their basic rights under the law and a brazen attempt at muzzling the judiciary," the statement said.
The Supreme Court was in the midst of hearing challenges to Musharraf's Oct 6. re-election by parliament while still army chief, and there had been speculation the general would impose an emergency if the court ruled against him.
HRW also attacked the United States for backing the army chief who seized power in a coup eight years ago and later became a crucial ally after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"U.S. policy on Pakistan has not only been flawed, it now appears to have failed. U.S. support for a coup-maker has only deepened Pakistan's political crisis," the statement said.
The United States has been encouraging Musharraf to guide Pakistan into elections, expected in January, that were supposed to mark a transition to civilian-led democracy.
Pakistan has been ruled by generals for more than half the 60 years since the country was formed following the partition of India.
Pakistan's Musharraf imposes emergency rule
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday, deploying troops and sacking a top judge in a bid to reassert his flagging authority against political rivals and Islamist militants.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan's internal security has deteriorated sharply in recent months with a wave of suicide attacks by al Qaeda-inspired militants, including one that killed 139 people.
State-run Pakistan Television said Musharraf had suspended the constitution and declared an emergency, ending weeks of speculation that the general who seized power in a 1999 coup might impose emergency rule or martial law.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a visit to Turkey, criticized the measures as "highly regrettable" and said she hoped Pakistan would have a free and fair election in January as promised.
Witnesses said troops were deployed at Pakistan Television and radio stations, and most phone lines were down. Other troops sealed off the thoroughfare where the presidency building, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court are located.
Shots were heard in several neighborhoods of Karachi, where there is strong support for former opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister.
Television channels said that Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, whose earlier dismissal in March marked the beginning of a slide in Musharraf's popularity, had been told that his services were "no longer required."
Chaudhry had been reinstated in July.
Musharraf had been awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while still army chief. The court had said on Friday it would reconvene on Monday and try to finish the case quickly.
Chaudhry and eight other judges refused to endorse the provisional constitutional order issued by the president.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan's internal security has deteriorated sharply in recent months with a wave of suicide attacks by al Qaeda-inspired militants, including one that killed 139 people.
State-run Pakistan Television said Musharraf had suspended the constitution and declared an emergency, ending weeks of speculation that the general who seized power in a 1999 coup might impose emergency rule or martial law.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a visit to Turkey, criticized the measures as "highly regrettable" and said she hoped Pakistan would have a free and fair election in January as promised.
Witnesses said troops were deployed at Pakistan Television and radio stations, and most phone lines were down. Other troops sealed off the thoroughfare where the presidency building, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court are located.
Shots were heard in several neighborhoods of Karachi, where there is strong support for former opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister.
Television channels said that Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, whose earlier dismissal in March marked the beginning of a slide in Musharraf's popularity, had been told that his services were "no longer required."
Chaudhry had been reinstated in July.
Musharraf had been awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while still army chief. The court had said on Friday it would reconvene on Monday and try to finish the case quickly.
Chaudhry and eight other judges refused to endorse the provisional constitutional order issued by the president.
Pakistan under martial law
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said he declared a state of emergency and martial law Saturday because Pakistan is at a "critical and dangerous juncture."
musharraf.jpg
President Pervez Musharraf explains his actions in a televised address Saturday.
The nation is going through "some very rapid changes," Musharraf said in a televised address to the nation after declaring martial law.
Despite immediate condemnation from within and outside his nation, he insisted that his actions are for the good of the country and the move is to stabilize unrest.
Musharraf had earlier in the day issued an order proclaiming the emergency and suspending the nation's constitution, according to a statement read on state television, and declaring martial law.
The Supreme Court declared the state of emergency illegal, claiming Musharraf had no power to suspend the constitution, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry said.
A senior Pakistani official said the emergency declaration will be "short-lived," and will be followed by an interim government. Martial law is a way to restore law and order, he said.
Shortly afterward, Chaudhry was expelled as chief justice, his office said. Troops came to Chaudhry's office to tell him.
The government appointed Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar as the new chief justice, according to state television.
It was the second time Chaudhry was removed from his post. His ousting by Musharraf in May prompted massive protests, and he was later reinstated. See a timeline of upheaval in Pakistan »
In Islamabad, troops entered the Supreme Court and were surrounding the judges' homes, according to CNN's Syed Mohsin Naqvi.
Supreme Court sources said some judges who were not in Islamabad were not at their homes, and it was not known whether they had been arrested.
Aitzaz Ahsan, a leading Pakistani attorney and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, was arrested at his home. A former interior minister, Ahsan represented Chaudhry the first time he was forced to leave his post.
The White House called Musharraf's action disappointing.
"President Musharraf needs to stand by his pledges to have free and fair elections in January and step down as chief of army staff before retaking the presidential oath of office," said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
"All parties involved should move along the democratic path peacefully and quickly."
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in Turkey for a conference with Iraq and neighboring nations, told CNN's Zain Verjee the developments in Pakistan were "highly regrettable."
The United States doesn't support any extra-constitutional measures taken by Musharraf, Rice said, urging restraint so violence can be avoided.
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement, "We recognize the threat to peace and security faced by the country, but its future rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism. I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today, which will take Pakistan further from these goals."
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who left Pakistan last week to visit her family in Dubai, arrived in Karachi on Saturday.
She returned to Pakistan last month, despite death threats, after several years in exile.
On October 18, upon her return, at least 130 people were killed when a suicide attacker tried to assassinate her. Bhutto was lightly wounded, but escaped largely unharmed.
Bhutto has pledged to help her party succeed in January's parliamentary elections. She hopes to gain a third term as prime minister, possibly under a power-sharing deal with Musharraf.
"The people of Pakistan will not accept it," Bhutto spokesman Farhatullah Babar said of the emergency declaration. "We condemn this move."
The declaration prompted a few hundred people to take to the streets in protest, but police and paramilitary groups blocked Islamabad's main roads and dispersed the crowds.
Earlier, private networks had reported the declaration was imminent as top officials huddled at Musharraf's residence in Rawalpindi. Shortly after that report, most media channels went off the air in an apparent blackout, although some flickered off and on.
The declaration could delay approaching parliamentary elections, according to CNN's Nic Robertson. It also could provide Musharraf with a reason to continue serving as the nation's military chief.
The nation's political atmosphere has been tense for months, with Pakistani leaders in August considering a state of emergency because of the growing security threats in the country's lawless tribal regions. But Musharraf, influenced in part by Rice, held off on the move. Video Watch a report on the volatile situation in Pakistan »
Since that time, Musharraf has faced a flurry of criticism from the opposition, who demanded he abandon his military position before becoming eligible to seek a third presidential term. Musharraf garnered a vast majority of votes in presidential elections last month; however, those results have not been certified by the nation's high court.
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For weeks, the country has been coasting in a state of political limbo while the Supreme Court works to tackle legal challenges filed by the opposition that call into question Musharraf's eligibility to hold office. Some have speculated that the declaration of emergency was tied to rumors the court is planning to rule against Musharraf.
Musharraf, who led the 1999 coup as Pakistan's army chief, has seen his power erode since the failed effort to oust Chaudhry. His administration is also struggling to contain a surge in Islamic militancy.
musharraf.jpg
President Pervez Musharraf explains his actions in a televised address Saturday.
The nation is going through "some very rapid changes," Musharraf said in a televised address to the nation after declaring martial law.
Despite immediate condemnation from within and outside his nation, he insisted that his actions are for the good of the country and the move is to stabilize unrest.
Musharraf had earlier in the day issued an order proclaiming the emergency and suspending the nation's constitution, according to a statement read on state television, and declaring martial law.
The Supreme Court declared the state of emergency illegal, claiming Musharraf had no power to suspend the constitution, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry said.
A senior Pakistani official said the emergency declaration will be "short-lived," and will be followed by an interim government. Martial law is a way to restore law and order, he said.
Shortly afterward, Chaudhry was expelled as chief justice, his office said. Troops came to Chaudhry's office to tell him.
The government appointed Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar as the new chief justice, according to state television.
It was the second time Chaudhry was removed from his post. His ousting by Musharraf in May prompted massive protests, and he was later reinstated. See a timeline of upheaval in Pakistan »
In Islamabad, troops entered the Supreme Court and were surrounding the judges' homes, according to CNN's Syed Mohsin Naqvi.
Supreme Court sources said some judges who were not in Islamabad were not at their homes, and it was not known whether they had been arrested.
Aitzaz Ahsan, a leading Pakistani attorney and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, was arrested at his home. A former interior minister, Ahsan represented Chaudhry the first time he was forced to leave his post.
The White House called Musharraf's action disappointing.
"President Musharraf needs to stand by his pledges to have free and fair elections in January and step down as chief of army staff before retaking the presidential oath of office," said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
"All parties involved should move along the democratic path peacefully and quickly."
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in Turkey for a conference with Iraq and neighboring nations, told CNN's Zain Verjee the developments in Pakistan were "highly regrettable."
The United States doesn't support any extra-constitutional measures taken by Musharraf, Rice said, urging restraint so violence can be avoided.
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement, "We recognize the threat to peace and security faced by the country, but its future rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism. I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today, which will take Pakistan further from these goals."
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who left Pakistan last week to visit her family in Dubai, arrived in Karachi on Saturday.
She returned to Pakistan last month, despite death threats, after several years in exile.
On October 18, upon her return, at least 130 people were killed when a suicide attacker tried to assassinate her. Bhutto was lightly wounded, but escaped largely unharmed.
Bhutto has pledged to help her party succeed in January's parliamentary elections. She hopes to gain a third term as prime minister, possibly under a power-sharing deal with Musharraf.
"The people of Pakistan will not accept it," Bhutto spokesman Farhatullah Babar said of the emergency declaration. "We condemn this move."
The declaration prompted a few hundred people to take to the streets in protest, but police and paramilitary groups blocked Islamabad's main roads and dispersed the crowds.
Earlier, private networks had reported the declaration was imminent as top officials huddled at Musharraf's residence in Rawalpindi. Shortly after that report, most media channels went off the air in an apparent blackout, although some flickered off and on.
The declaration could delay approaching parliamentary elections, according to CNN's Nic Robertson. It also could provide Musharraf with a reason to continue serving as the nation's military chief.
The nation's political atmosphere has been tense for months, with Pakistani leaders in August considering a state of emergency because of the growing security threats in the country's lawless tribal regions. But Musharraf, influenced in part by Rice, held off on the move. Video Watch a report on the volatile situation in Pakistan »
Since that time, Musharraf has faced a flurry of criticism from the opposition, who demanded he abandon his military position before becoming eligible to seek a third presidential term. Musharraf garnered a vast majority of votes in presidential elections last month; however, those results have not been certified by the nation's high court.
advertisement
For weeks, the country has been coasting in a state of political limbo while the Supreme Court works to tackle legal challenges filed by the opposition that call into question Musharraf's eligibility to hold office. Some have speculated that the declaration of emergency was tied to rumors the court is planning to rule against Musharraf.
Musharraf, who led the 1999 coup as Pakistan's army chief, has seen his power erode since the failed effort to oust Chaudhry. His administration is also struggling to contain a surge in Islamic militancy.
SC verdict is law of land, says Pak judge
Even as the Pakistani army moved in to occupy strategically important places and issue pack-up orders to the country’s Supreme Court, justice Wajihuddin Ahmed who contested the recent Pakistani presidential elections (unsuccessfully) against General Pervez Musharraf has said the decision to set aside the emergency by an eight member bench of the Supreme Court is the law of the land.
"The emergency has been set aside by the eight member bench and as of now there is legally no emergency," said justice Wajihuddin who was the Chief Justice of the Sind high court and a judge of the Supreme Court before resigning.
In a telephone interview, Ahmed said that emergency stood suspended. When asked what would happen in case the Pakistani army refused to accept the Supreme Court decision, Ahmed said that the world would be surprised in the coming days.
"It is just not just the Supreme Court but a huge section of the army that is not interested in the emergency. If I know the armed forces well and I have my sources, the Pakistan army is very much for the Constitution and the rule of the law," he said. He added that the Pakistani army was not for a one man rule and that it would be evident soon.
Blaming the advisors of President Musharraf for the imposition of the emergency, Ahmed said that Musharraf’s advisors had been misguiding him and ill advising him. "I think his advisors are trying to create more enemies for him by giving him incorrect advice," he said. He added that with such advisors, Musharraf was creating more enemies than friends.
"The emergency has been set aside by the eight member bench and as of now there is legally no emergency," said justice Wajihuddin who was the Chief Justice of the Sind high court and a judge of the Supreme Court before resigning.
In a telephone interview, Ahmed said that emergency stood suspended. When asked what would happen in case the Pakistani army refused to accept the Supreme Court decision, Ahmed said that the world would be surprised in the coming days.
"It is just not just the Supreme Court but a huge section of the army that is not interested in the emergency. If I know the armed forces well and I have my sources, the Pakistan army is very much for the Constitution and the rule of the law," he said. He added that the Pakistani army was not for a one man rule and that it would be evident soon.
Blaming the advisors of President Musharraf for the imposition of the emergency, Ahmed said that Musharraf’s advisors had been misguiding him and ill advising him. "I think his advisors are trying to create more enemies for him by giving him incorrect advice," he said. He added that with such advisors, Musharraf was creating more enemies than friends.
Online, shock and awe
ISLAMABAD: Why, Mush why?" That’s the question most Pakistani youngsters are asking online. Within minutes of emergency being declared in the country, the Facebook status of a whole lot of Pakistanis changed. From "I want the channels back!!! how do I know whats happening!!!!!damned emergencyyyy" to "sad that a state of emergency has been declared in Pakistan" and "Ohhhh sh**! Martial law!" the www is full of young Pakistanis eager to know all they can about the political crisis in Islamabad.
‘‘There are no news channels beaming except PTV. So there’s no way to find out what the status in Islamabad is,’’ says Rehaan (name changed on request), a media executive from Karachi. ‘‘I got on to the BBC website and read that security has been deployed in the offices of all private TV channels. I tried calling up my cousins in Islamabad but all phone lines are busy."
Across the internet, discussion boards are buzzing with news of the Musharraf-imposed emergency. 20-somethings are messaging back and forth, trying to make some sense of how the situation will impact their daily lives. ‘‘An emergency means that somebody else is making the rules and taking decisions for me. That can never be good,’’ says a Pakistani blogger. "I’m in shock because even though we expected it, it’s just so so sad,’’ says a banker in Karachi.
‘‘Does this mean I can’t go to work? How long will this emergency last? Can’t anybody question Musharraf? How will we know when it has ended?’’ asks a 26-year-old management trainee.
The streets of Karachi are calm so far. But everyone expected this. On the phone from Karachi, a 24-year-old ad-sales executive confides: "There’s sadness and disappointment over the situation but most of all, there’s a huge seense of curiosity. Nobody knows what will happen and that’s very disconcerting."
‘‘There are no news channels beaming except PTV. So there’s no way to find out what the status in Islamabad is,’’ says Rehaan (name changed on request), a media executive from Karachi. ‘‘I got on to the BBC website and read that security has been deployed in the offices of all private TV channels. I tried calling up my cousins in Islamabad but all phone lines are busy."
Across the internet, discussion boards are buzzing with news of the Musharraf-imposed emergency. 20-somethings are messaging back and forth, trying to make some sense of how the situation will impact their daily lives. ‘‘An emergency means that somebody else is making the rules and taking decisions for me. That can never be good,’’ says a Pakistani blogger. "I’m in shock because even though we expected it, it’s just so so sad,’’ says a banker in Karachi.
‘‘Does this mean I can’t go to work? How long will this emergency last? Can’t anybody question Musharraf? How will we know when it has ended?’’ asks a 26-year-old management trainee.
The streets of Karachi are calm so far. But everyone expected this. On the phone from Karachi, a 24-year-old ad-sales executive confides: "There’s sadness and disappointment over the situation but most of all, there’s a huge seense of curiosity. Nobody knows what will happen and that’s very disconcerting."
CHRONOLOGY-Pakistan's political crisis
Nov 3 (Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday imposed emergency rule in a move that will put off elections due in January.
Here is a timeline of some key political events over recent months.
* March 9, 2007: Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally to the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets as their pro-democracy campaign grows.
* July 10: After a week-long siege, Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement based there. At least 105 people are killed in the raid. A wave of deadly militant attacks and suicide bombings follow.
* July 20: Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.
* July 27: Musharraf meets ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi to thrash out how to move the country towards a civilian-led democracy. Bhutto sets conditions including that Musharraf steps down as army chief, talks are inconclusive.
* Sept 10: Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf deposed eight years ago and subsequently exiled, is arrested at Islamabad airport. The Supreme Court had cleared his return, and is hearing petitions that the government was in contempt of court for putting Sharif on a flight to Saudia Arabia, where he still languishes.
* Oct 2: Musharraf designates a successor as army chief, in the most concrete move towards making good a pledge to step down he first made in Dec. 2003. Government announces it is dropping corruption charges against Bhutto, clearing way for her return.
* Oct 19: About 139 people killed by an attempted suicide bomb assassination of Bhutto during a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile. The attack is one of the deadliest ever in Pakistan.
* Nov 2: Supreme Court reconvenes to hear challenges whether Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election by parliament on Oct. 6, while still army chief. His current term expires on Nov. 15. Separately, sources say about 800 people have died, more than half of them in suicide bombings, since the storming of the Red Mosque in July.
* Nov 3 - Musharraf imposes emergency rule.
Here is a timeline of some key political events over recent months.
* March 9, 2007: Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally to the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets as their pro-democracy campaign grows.
* July 10: After a week-long siege, Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement based there. At least 105 people are killed in the raid. A wave of deadly militant attacks and suicide bombings follow.
* July 20: Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.
* July 27: Musharraf meets ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi to thrash out how to move the country towards a civilian-led democracy. Bhutto sets conditions including that Musharraf steps down as army chief, talks are inconclusive.
* Sept 10: Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf deposed eight years ago and subsequently exiled, is arrested at Islamabad airport. The Supreme Court had cleared his return, and is hearing petitions that the government was in contempt of court for putting Sharif on a flight to Saudia Arabia, where he still languishes.
* Oct 2: Musharraf designates a successor as army chief, in the most concrete move towards making good a pledge to step down he first made in Dec. 2003. Government announces it is dropping corruption charges against Bhutto, clearing way for her return.
* Oct 19: About 139 people killed by an attempted suicide bomb assassination of Bhutto during a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile. The attack is one of the deadliest ever in Pakistan.
* Nov 2: Supreme Court reconvenes to hear challenges whether Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election by parliament on Oct. 6, while still army chief. His current term expires on Nov. 15. Separately, sources say about 800 people have died, more than half of them in suicide bombings, since the storming of the Red Mosque in July.
* Nov 3 - Musharraf imposes emergency rule.
Martial Law by Another Name in Pakistan
According to media reports, a nationwide emergency has been imposed here in Pakistan. All independent media channels have been forcibly taken off the air. Paramilitary forces have surrounded the Supreme Court building in the capital. However, this is only an emergency in name: in reality it is yet another martial law proclamation.
Under the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, the regime may impose an emergency if the country is facing external aggression or if there is serious internal turmoil. The Constitution has been placed in abeyance for the second time by General Pervez Musharraf. A Provisional Constitutional Order has been proclaimed, as was the case in 1999 when the military regime took over. The proclamation of emergency has been issued by the general in his capacity as the chief of the armed forces and not as the President of Pakistan.
The proclamation of emergency states that the regime has taken this action to curb a judiciary which has stepped out of line; has encroached upon the domains of the executive and the legislature; and is hampering the regime’s efforts at curbing extremism.
The last claim is meant specifically for the regime’s backers and potential detractors in Washington. The truth, evident to the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis is that this action was motivated by the fears that the Supreme Court may decide to invalidate General Musharraf’s re-election as President. The case was scheduled to be decided by next Tuesday.
According to the reports, eight-member bench of the Supreme Court has already declared the PCO and the proclamation of emergency to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court and High Court judges are being asked to take a new oath under the PCO. The Chief Justice and a majority of Supreme Court and High Court judges have not been invited to take the oath, meaning thereby that the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been sacked for the second time this year.
While the regime shall attempt to crack down on the media and protests in Pakistan at home over the coming days, internationally it will forward the claim that the Supreme Court’s activism was threatening to destabilize the regime and hence undermining American interests in the War on Terror. The regime shall also attempt to present the softer face of an emergency. It must be realized that political leaders and activist lawyers are already being arrested all over the country. Fundamental freedoms have been suspended and the rights of the protesters shall in all likelihood be viciously trampled upon.
In short, martial law by another name is just as brutal!
Under the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, the regime may impose an emergency if the country is facing external aggression or if there is serious internal turmoil. The Constitution has been placed in abeyance for the second time by General Pervez Musharraf. A Provisional Constitutional Order has been proclaimed, as was the case in 1999 when the military regime took over. The proclamation of emergency has been issued by the general in his capacity as the chief of the armed forces and not as the President of Pakistan.
The proclamation of emergency states that the regime has taken this action to curb a judiciary which has stepped out of line; has encroached upon the domains of the executive and the legislature; and is hampering the regime’s efforts at curbing extremism.
The last claim is meant specifically for the regime’s backers and potential detractors in Washington. The truth, evident to the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis is that this action was motivated by the fears that the Supreme Court may decide to invalidate General Musharraf’s re-election as President. The case was scheduled to be decided by next Tuesday.
According to the reports, eight-member bench of the Supreme Court has already declared the PCO and the proclamation of emergency to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court and High Court judges are being asked to take a new oath under the PCO. The Chief Justice and a majority of Supreme Court and High Court judges have not been invited to take the oath, meaning thereby that the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been sacked for the second time this year.
While the regime shall attempt to crack down on the media and protests in Pakistan at home over the coming days, internationally it will forward the claim that the Supreme Court’s activism was threatening to destabilize the regime and hence undermining American interests in the War on Terror. The regime shall also attempt to present the softer face of an emergency. It must be realized that political leaders and activist lawyers are already being arrested all over the country. Fundamental freedoms have been suspended and the rights of the protesters shall in all likelihood be viciously trampled upon.
In short, martial law by another name is just as brutal!
Dogar new Chief Justice of Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): Shortly after clamping Emergency, Pakistan government headed by Gen Pervez Musharraf on Saturday nightappointed Abdul Hameed Dogar as the country's new Chief Justice to succeed Iftikhar Mohd Chaudhary who became an icon of anti-Musharraf movement.
Dogar, one of the judges of the Supreme Court who had heared a petition challenging the continuance of Chaudhary as Chief Justice, was sworn in in his new post.
He is also among five judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order which came into force following imposition of Emergency.
Dogar, one of the judges of the Supreme Court who had heared a petition challenging the continuance of Chaudhary as Chief Justice, was sworn in in his new post.
He is also among five judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order which came into force following imposition of Emergency.
US disappointed as Musharraf sets emergency rule
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Saturday said it was disappointed by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule and called on him to stick to a pledge to hold free elections early next year.
"This action is very disappointing," White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
"President Musharraf needs to stand by his pledges to have free and fair elections in January and step down as chief of army staff before retaking the presidential oath of office," Johndroe added.
Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday in a bid to reassert his flagging authority against challenges from Islamist militants, a hostile judiciary and political rivals.
"All parties involved should move along the democratic path peacefully and quickly," Johndroe said.
Earlier, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while on a visit to Turkey, said she was "deeply disturbed" by Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule, calling it a step backward for democracy.
"The U.S. has made very clear that it does not support extra-constitutional measures as they would take Pakistan away from the path of democracy and civilian rule," Rice told reporters as she was taking off from Turkey.
"We will be urging the commitment to hold free and fair elections be kept and we will be urging calm on all parties," she said.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan's internal security has deteriorated sharply in the past few months with a wave of suicide attacks by al Qaeda-inspired militants, including one last month that killed 139 people.
"This action is very disappointing," White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
"President Musharraf needs to stand by his pledges to have free and fair elections in January and step down as chief of army staff before retaking the presidential oath of office," Johndroe added.
Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday in a bid to reassert his flagging authority against challenges from Islamist militants, a hostile judiciary and political rivals.
"All parties involved should move along the democratic path peacefully and quickly," Johndroe said.
Earlier, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while on a visit to Turkey, said she was "deeply disturbed" by Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule, calling it a step backward for democracy.
"The U.S. has made very clear that it does not support extra-constitutional measures as they would take Pakistan away from the path of democracy and civilian rule," Rice told reporters as she was taking off from Turkey.
"We will be urging the commitment to hold free and fair elections be kept and we will be urging calm on all parties," she said.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan's internal security has deteriorated sharply in the past few months with a wave of suicide attacks by al Qaeda-inspired militants, including one last month that killed 139 people.
TIMELINE: Pakistan President Musharraf's highs and lows
Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday in a bid to reassert his flagging authority against challenges from Islamist militants, a hostile judiciary and political rivals.
Here are some main events in his political career:
October 7, 1998 - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appoints General Musharraf army chief but their relationship breaks down over the Kargil border conflict with India the next year.
October 13, 1999 - Musharraf takes power following a bloodless coup after Sharif sacked Musharraf a day earlier while the general was on his way back from Sri Lanka. The country was virtually bankrupt and the coup was relatively popular. Sharif is sent into exile a year later.
June 20, 2001 - Musharraf is sworn in as president but retains his army chief post.
September 12, 2001 - A day after al Qaeda attacked the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell tells Musharraf: "you are either with us or against us". A week later, Musharraf announces Pakistan has joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
April 30, 2002 - Musharraf wins a controversial referendum on extending his rule for five more years.
July 6, 2002 - Musharraf imposes laws effectively barring former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Sharif from power.
December 14 and 25, 2003 - Musharraf survives two al Qaeda inspired assassination attempts in Rawalpindi. Low-ranking army and air force personnel are implicated in the first attack.
December 24, 2003 - Musharraf announces he will step down as army chief by the end of 2004.
January, 2004 - Musharraf and India's then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, agree to a peace dialogue less than two years after the nuclear-armed nations went to the brink of war. The neighbors have fought three wars since 1947.
December 30, 2004 - Musharraf announces he is going back on his pledge to step down as army chief.
October 2005 - Musharraf rallies the country and the army emerges with credit for leading relief efforts after an earthquake kills 73,000 people.
September 2006 - Musharraf launches his autobiography "In the Line of Fire" in New York.
March 9, 2007 - Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally to the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets as their pro-democracy campaign draws support.
July 6 - Assassins try to kill Musharraf, but his plane had taken off and was far away before they opened fire from a rooftop close to the military airfield in Rawalpindi.
July 10 - After a week-long siege, Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement. At least 105 people are killed.
July 20 - Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.
September 10 - Sharif tries to return from exile but is arrested at Islamabad airport and deported to Saudi Arabia, despite having clearance from the Supreme Court to return.
September 18 - Musharraf's lawyers tell the Supreme Court he will quit as army chief if re-elected president.
October 2 - Musharraf designates the former head of the main intelligence agency, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, as his successor as army chief. The government announces it is ready to drop corruption charges against Bhutto.
October 6 - Musharraf wins most votes in a presidential election but has to wait for the Supreme Court to confirm the legality of his re-election.
Oct 19 - About 139 people killed by an attempted suicide bomb assassination of Bhutto during a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile.
Nov 2 - Supreme Court reconvenes to hear challenges whether Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election by parliament on October 6.
Nov 3 - Musharraf imposes emergency rule.
Here are some main events in his political career:
October 7, 1998 - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appoints General Musharraf army chief but their relationship breaks down over the Kargil border conflict with India the next year.
October 13, 1999 - Musharraf takes power following a bloodless coup after Sharif sacked Musharraf a day earlier while the general was on his way back from Sri Lanka. The country was virtually bankrupt and the coup was relatively popular. Sharif is sent into exile a year later.
June 20, 2001 - Musharraf is sworn in as president but retains his army chief post.
September 12, 2001 - A day after al Qaeda attacked the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell tells Musharraf: "you are either with us or against us". A week later, Musharraf announces Pakistan has joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
April 30, 2002 - Musharraf wins a controversial referendum on extending his rule for five more years.
July 6, 2002 - Musharraf imposes laws effectively barring former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Sharif from power.
December 14 and 25, 2003 - Musharraf survives two al Qaeda inspired assassination attempts in Rawalpindi. Low-ranking army and air force personnel are implicated in the first attack.
December 24, 2003 - Musharraf announces he will step down as army chief by the end of 2004.
January, 2004 - Musharraf and India's then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, agree to a peace dialogue less than two years after the nuclear-armed nations went to the brink of war. The neighbors have fought three wars since 1947.
December 30, 2004 - Musharraf announces he is going back on his pledge to step down as army chief.
October 2005 - Musharraf rallies the country and the army emerges with credit for leading relief efforts after an earthquake kills 73,000 people.
September 2006 - Musharraf launches his autobiography "In the Line of Fire" in New York.
March 9, 2007 - Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally to the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets as their pro-democracy campaign draws support.
July 6 - Assassins try to kill Musharraf, but his plane had taken off and was far away before they opened fire from a rooftop close to the military airfield in Rawalpindi.
July 10 - After a week-long siege, Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement. At least 105 people are killed.
July 20 - Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.
September 10 - Sharif tries to return from exile but is arrested at Islamabad airport and deported to Saudi Arabia, despite having clearance from the Supreme Court to return.
September 18 - Musharraf's lawyers tell the Supreme Court he will quit as army chief if re-elected president.
October 2 - Musharraf designates the former head of the main intelligence agency, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, as his successor as army chief. The government announces it is ready to drop corruption charges against Bhutto.
October 6 - Musharraf wins most votes in a presidential election but has to wait for the Supreme Court to confirm the legality of his re-election.
Oct 19 - About 139 people killed by an attempted suicide bomb assassination of Bhutto during a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile.
Nov 2 - Supreme Court reconvenes to hear challenges whether Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election by parliament on October 6.
Nov 3 - Musharraf imposes emergency rule.
Year of living dangerously for Musharraf
New Delhi: It was the year of living dangerously for an embattled General Pervez Musharraf - a chain of events that included the suspension of Chief Justice and a spate of terrorist attacks on the way, culminating in the imposition of emergency on Saturday that was triggered by the fear of losing power he has enjoyed for over eight years.
In many ways, it's the make-or-break year for Musharraf as he seeks re-election - elections are slated for January next year - eight years after he overthrew the elected government of Nawaz Sharif and became the ruler of Pakistan eight years ago.
Musharraf declares emergency in Pakistan
His latest move - declaring emergency - is powered part by desperation to hold on to power tenaciously and partly by a very real need to crush the juggernaut of extremism in his country that he has characterised as a "liberal modern country" in his autobiography In the Line of Fire.
The imposition of emergency was in fact aimed at pre-empting the Supreme Court's hearing on Monday which was to decide whether Musharraf was eligible for re-election while remaining army chief. Two months ago when the rumours of emergency were doing the rounds, the US intervened and made it clear that they will not tolerate any deviation from Musharraf's plan to pass power to civilian democracy.
But that was a temporary reprieve. Musharraf has been in the firing line virtually the whole year from literally all sides, left, right and centre. Civil society, including lawyers and journalists and good old liberal Pakistanis, that once lionised him and took his military rule in good humour presuming that he is going to be better than corrupt democrats turned against him in vengeance after he arbitrarily sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary on March 7 this year. In a blow to Musharraf's authority, the Supreme Court reinstated Chaudhary July 20.
The religious right, comprising fire-spewing fundamentalists and the ISI mentors of Taliban furious with Musharraf for genuflecting at the altar of the almighty America, put up a grim battle to reclaim their fading relevance - a festering issue that left Musharraf with no choice but to order army action against radicals holed up inside Lal Masjid in July 10 this year that left over 100 people dead.
This was followed by a wave of deadly militant attacks and suicide bombings, some of them targeted at army installations.
In fact, the new strident assertion by the mullah-jihadi forces nexus resulting in a spate of suicide attacks underscored the need for tackling radical extremist head on. "The Talibanisation of the Pakistan society was going too far," says Nilofer Bakhtiar, former tourism minister.
The most deadly and spectacular terrorist attack this year was when a suicide bomb assassination ripped through Bhutto's convoy October 19, which killed 139 people and left hundreds injured. Bhutto was heading a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile.
Nearly 800 people have died, most of them in suicide bombings, since the storming of the Lal Masjid in July.
Sceptics may say raising the bogey about extremism is just a ploy by Musharraf to perpetuate his self-rule and consolidate his hold over the power base, but the scare of a Taliabanied Pakistan is very real.
Another important event in Pakistan's national life this year - and one that shows Musharraf's paranoia about losing power was - the return of Sharif on September 10. Sahrif was arrested within hours of arriving at Islamabad airport and sent back to Saudi Arabia.
Full coverage: Power game in Pakistan
As though jihadi forces were not headache enough, America, another crucial pillar of the trinity which presides over Pakistan including Allah and Army, was not too happy with Musharraf for failing to deliver on his commitments in the war against terror.
A resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, aided and abetted by a section of the Pakistan military establishment, was predictably a sore issue with the powers-that-be in Washington.
The American backers of Pakistan were quick to put Musharraf on notice and pushed him hard to hold elections and restore some semblance of democracy in that country. They also promoted a power-sharing understanding between former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf.
Democracy, Pakistani style
Musharraf's current term expires on November 15. Detractors of Musharraf may wish otherwise, but this uncanny military man has survived many an assassination attempt and may as well ride over this year of living dangerously.
In many ways, it's the make-or-break year for Musharraf as he seeks re-election - elections are slated for January next year - eight years after he overthrew the elected government of Nawaz Sharif and became the ruler of Pakistan eight years ago.
Musharraf declares emergency in Pakistan
His latest move - declaring emergency - is powered part by desperation to hold on to power tenaciously and partly by a very real need to crush the juggernaut of extremism in his country that he has characterised as a "liberal modern country" in his autobiography In the Line of Fire.
The imposition of emergency was in fact aimed at pre-empting the Supreme Court's hearing on Monday which was to decide whether Musharraf was eligible for re-election while remaining army chief. Two months ago when the rumours of emergency were doing the rounds, the US intervened and made it clear that they will not tolerate any deviation from Musharraf's plan to pass power to civilian democracy.
But that was a temporary reprieve. Musharraf has been in the firing line virtually the whole year from literally all sides, left, right and centre. Civil society, including lawyers and journalists and good old liberal Pakistanis, that once lionised him and took his military rule in good humour presuming that he is going to be better than corrupt democrats turned against him in vengeance after he arbitrarily sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary on March 7 this year. In a blow to Musharraf's authority, the Supreme Court reinstated Chaudhary July 20.
The religious right, comprising fire-spewing fundamentalists and the ISI mentors of Taliban furious with Musharraf for genuflecting at the altar of the almighty America, put up a grim battle to reclaim their fading relevance - a festering issue that left Musharraf with no choice but to order army action against radicals holed up inside Lal Masjid in July 10 this year that left over 100 people dead.
This was followed by a wave of deadly militant attacks and suicide bombings, some of them targeted at army installations.
In fact, the new strident assertion by the mullah-jihadi forces nexus resulting in a spate of suicide attacks underscored the need for tackling radical extremist head on. "The Talibanisation of the Pakistan society was going too far," says Nilofer Bakhtiar, former tourism minister.
The most deadly and spectacular terrorist attack this year was when a suicide bomb assassination ripped through Bhutto's convoy October 19, which killed 139 people and left hundreds injured. Bhutto was heading a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile.
Nearly 800 people have died, most of them in suicide bombings, since the storming of the Lal Masjid in July.
Sceptics may say raising the bogey about extremism is just a ploy by Musharraf to perpetuate his self-rule and consolidate his hold over the power base, but the scare of a Taliabanied Pakistan is very real.
Another important event in Pakistan's national life this year - and one that shows Musharraf's paranoia about losing power was - the return of Sharif on September 10. Sahrif was arrested within hours of arriving at Islamabad airport and sent back to Saudi Arabia.
Full coverage: Power game in Pakistan
As though jihadi forces were not headache enough, America, another crucial pillar of the trinity which presides over Pakistan including Allah and Army, was not too happy with Musharraf for failing to deliver on his commitments in the war against terror.
A resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, aided and abetted by a section of the Pakistan military establishment, was predictably a sore issue with the powers-that-be in Washington.
The American backers of Pakistan were quick to put Musharraf on notice and pushed him hard to hold elections and restore some semblance of democracy in that country. They also promoted a power-sharing understanding between former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf.
Democracy, Pakistani style
Musharraf's current term expires on November 15. Detractors of Musharraf may wish otherwise, but this uncanny military man has survived many an assassination attempt and may as well ride over this year of living dangerously.
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