President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has declared a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday. It has now been announced at PTV. The emergency decision comes ahead of a crucial Supreme Court decision on whether to overturn his recent election win.
The news caster at PTV didn’t give any reasons for emergency but read the following text:
The chief of army staff has proclaimed a state of emergency and issued a provisional constitutional order.
Earlier, Pakistan’s private TV channels had suddenly gone off-air amid speculations that emergency was going to be imposed.
An earlier Reuters report which was among the first to break the news read:
Private television channels Geo News and Dawn News both ran reports quoting unnamed sources as saying the government had made its decision. Speculation has been rife that Musharraf, who is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while still army chief, might impose emergency rule or martial law
This has not been the first time that government thought about imposing emergency. The idea has been flirted with from time to time. Rumors kept appearing from time to time from as early as August 8, 2007. We also had a post on this topic then.
According to CNN:
The Supreme Court has declared the state of emergency illegal, claiming Musharraf had no power to suspend the constitution, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry told CNN.
People were already sensing something was about to happen when Benazir suddenly left the country two days ago without even going to other provinces of the country except Sindh. It may be true that she indeed left Pakistan to be with her ailing mother but it never stops people from speculating. Also the earlier news where Government circles were advising Benazir not to come to Pakistan before Supreme Court decision now seem to put missing links to a continuum.
According to Washington Post news:
The United States had tried to pressure Musharraf on Friday to avoid declaring emergency rule or martial law. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday sent a warning to Musharraf not to take authoritarian measures to hold on to power. “I think it would be quite obvious that the United States would not be supportive of extra-constitutional means,” Rice said. “Pakistan needs to prepare for and hold free and fair elections.” That message was followed by a previously scheduled meeting between Musharraf and Adm. William J. Fallon, chief of the U.S. Central Command.
Complete text of emergency declaration can be read here
Protest “Martial Law”?
When we Pakistanis cannot even protest something even more elemental as the freedom to practice any faith we desire, the freedom to speak our minds as we wish, then what right do we have to be protesting the usurpation of our democratic rights ever so often?
We are morally and intellectually bankrupt as a people and as a nation, when we stand silent as suicide bombers take the lives of soldier and innocent alike - we stand silent as businesses and schools are threatened and attacked under the guise of Islam - we stand silent as soldiers who would prevent these acts are beheaded and tortured, even going to the extent of justifying those acts of barbarism by saying “well they shouldn’t be fighting their Muslim brothers.
What is more important, protesting the barbarity unleashed by savages in the name of Islam, or the denial of suffrage? Even both would be acceptable, but while hundreds of thousands can gather, riot and burn over “cartoons” and “democracy”, human life, liberty and freedom apparently have no importance.
Please call it what it is,
MARTIAL LAW
Aaj TV was the only television network to call it what it is.
http://pkpolitics.com/2007/11/04/final-transmissio n-of-aaj-tv/
This is why it was the only television channel to suffer the worst.
http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=647509&currP ageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=
why is cnn saying “Pakistan under Martial Law”?
http://edition.cnn.com/
After listening the speech of the dictator of the century the following questions arise which need food of thought for the intellectuals of Pakistan.
1.The dictator is asking the nation what is going on in the country which he has ruled with absolute power.
2.The dictator is applauding the successful completion of the present government and at the same time giving a painful picture of the past 2 years.
3.The dictator after recording his name in the Guienes book of world record for destroying the constitution for the second time talks about democracy and that of removing the hurdles in it.He is the main hurdle.Some please tell him.
4.The dictator is again trying to set a new record in the history to rule it without the peoples will.
5.The dictator in the PCO shamelessly states the the media shall not air any thing that is vulgar where as he is the pioneer of vulgarity in Pakistan.
This story goes on and on and shall never end in Pakistan unless PEOPLE LIKE HIM are brought to task once and for all.The country shall be and is hijacked by army and the people of Pakistan shall never be out of these vicious clutches up till such time they do not sacrifice their life’s for this purpose.
Delivering speeches about the fruits of democracy is not going to solve the problem.
Ch. Ifti could have chosen a path of reconcilliation, and providing justice to Pakistanis - his job, after his restoration to the head of the apex court. Instead he chose a path of direct confrontation. PPP throngs, arranged by aitizaz ahsan, along GT road made him think he was riding a popular wave and that got to his head. Then he did what everyone in Pakistan does. He started abusing his newfound power. Only problem, the power still rests and rightly so with the president. So Ifti boy got knocked down. The better man won. Good fight.
I Need HELP , con not sit and watch ,have to do something ,It is my request ot every one that posts comments or those who write on the web please only use titles to its rightful owners, Chief Justice is going to be the one we call chief justice.
Also no color pictures of those that will have are “making their moon Kala ” supporting this crime against the nation.
I have created a petition please sign that ,even if you think it wont make a difference ,do it for it would make a difference to me. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justicepakistan
Latest on the freedom of expression…
Police raid on TV channels:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/03/pakist an.media/
That petition url has a [dot] at the end….. remove that or click here.. http://www.petitiononline.com/demo07/petition.html