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."
Saturday, November 3, 2007
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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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.
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."
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