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.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
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.
Musharraf declares "state of emergency" in Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf has imposed a state of emergency in Pakistan because of mounting militant attacks and "interference" by members of the judiciary.
Those were the reasons cited in the presidential order. Troops are now surrounding the state television station and the Supreme Court. The constitution has been suspended, senior judges arrested, and all telephone lines inside the country cut off.
The US says its extremely disturbed by the situation and had urged Musharraf to give up his army uniform.
The president made his move as Supreme Court judges were set to rule on whether his re-election last month was legal, given he was still army chief.
A new chief justice has now been appointed.
Pakistan's police and military personnel have been attacked on numerous fronts in a wave of fundamentalist violence in recent months, but Western governments urged Musharraf not to do anything which would threaten a return to full democracy.
The state of emergency is expected to delay the parliamentary elections planned for January 2008 by up to 12 months.
Those were the reasons cited in the presidential order. Troops are now surrounding the state television station and the Supreme Court. The constitution has been suspended, senior judges arrested, and all telephone lines inside the country cut off.
The US says its extremely disturbed by the situation and had urged Musharraf to give up his army uniform.
The president made his move as Supreme Court judges were set to rule on whether his re-election last month was legal, given he was still army chief.
A new chief justice has now been appointed.
Pakistan's police and military personnel have been attacked on numerous fronts in a wave of fundamentalist violence in recent months, but Western governments urged Musharraf not to do anything which would threaten a return to full democracy.
The state of emergency is expected to delay the parliamentary elections planned for January 2008 by up to 12 months.
Several lawyers opposed to Musharraf arrested-judge
ISLAMABAD, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Pakistani police arrested several lawyers opposed to President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday, a former judge said.
Earlier, Musharraf imposed emergency rule citing rising militancy and interference by the judiciary.
"We have confirmed reports of several lawyers' arrests in Quetta and Karachi and we have asked many others to go underground because police are conducting raids," Tariq Mehmud, a former judge who stood up to Musharraf when he took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, told Reuters.
Mehmud was part of the legal team led by Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan, who was detained earlier in Islamabad, that opposed Musharraf's bid for re-election last month while he was still army chief.
"We have called an emergency meeting tomorrow to chalk out a plan, although we are going to boycott courts all over Pakistan on Monday," Mehmud said.
Musharraf's decision to impose emergency rule came as he awaited a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while still army chief.
Earlier, Musharraf imposed emergency rule citing rising militancy and interference by the judiciary.
"We have confirmed reports of several lawyers' arrests in Quetta and Karachi and we have asked many others to go underground because police are conducting raids," Tariq Mehmud, a former judge who stood up to Musharraf when he took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, told Reuters.
Mehmud was part of the legal team led by Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan, who was detained earlier in Islamabad, that opposed Musharraf's bid for re-election last month while he was still army chief.
"We have called an emergency meeting tomorrow to chalk out a plan, although we are going to boycott courts all over Pakistan on Monday," Mehmud said.
Musharraf's decision to impose emergency rule came as he awaited a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while still army chief.
Musharraf not a reliable partner: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): Denouncing imposition of emergency in Pakistan, BJP on Saturday said the move underlines that President Pervez Musharraf was not a reliable ally in the fight against "jehadi terror" and asked the UPA government to mount pressure for restoration of democracy in that country.
Expressing solidarity with the people of Pakistan in this "hour of trial", Leader of the Opposition L K Advani said the developments in that country are a "matter of deep concern" for the entire international community and a cause of greater worry to neighbour India.
The struggle for democracy and fight against terrorism, fuelled by religious extremism, are "inseparable" in Pakistan and "the international community must understand that those who imposed the emergency for perpetuation of military rule in Pakistan cannot be a reliable ally in the struggle against jehadi terrorism," he said in a statement.
"I would like to convey my deepest solidarity to the people of Pakistan in this hour of trial, and hope that their struggle for democracy and rule of law will succeed soon," he said.
Reacting to the developments, Former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said "Musharraf has showed his true colour of a military dictator by bringing an end to democracy."
"Considering the fact that Pakistan has been established as an epicentre of terrorism, the move is not only a concern for South Asia but also to the whole world," he said noting that world forums must ensure that democracy is restored in Pakistan.
"We would like to urge the government to secure our borders and build up international pressure for restoration of democracy in the neigbouring country," he added.
Emergency derails poll hopes
Dubai: Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday declared emergency rule and suspended the constitution, sparking a chorus of condemnation and concern around the world.
Minutes after the militarty ruler announced a provisional constitutional order, troops were deployed around the Supreme Court, state-run TV stations and other inistitutions across Islamabad.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who along with eight other judges refused to endorse the emergency order, was told that his services "were no longer required". He was swiftly replaced by Supreme Court judge Hameed Dogar. The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan, was arrested shortly afterwards.The emergency came as the court was due to rule on the legality of Musharraf's re-election victory in October. Analysts and political observers quoted by the BBC said the government feared the court verdict would go against Musharraf and the emergency was seen as a desparate bid by the army chief to reassert his flagging authority against political rivals and rising militancy.
The declaration raises doubts about whether national elections will be held as planned in January.
The text of the declaration of emergency said that Musharraf invoked emergency rule because of mounting militant attacks and interference by members of the judiciary, which was seen as weakening Pakistan's fight against terror.
The global community reacted with concern and regret. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticised the measures as "highly regrettable" and urged Pakistan to return to democracy. The UK, Sweden and other Western powers expressed "grave concern" over the situation, while nuclear neighbour India called for a speedy return to "normalcy" and "democracy".
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