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
The November 03 action by General Musharraf was very much on the cards. Yes, it was insane and, yes, he will end up screwing up any chances or hopes of Pakistan ever walking tall in the comity of nations as a truly democratic polity, yet, the general’s schizophrenic decision-making skills are enough to quench his thirst and greed to hang on to the reins of power till perhaps the time he gets booted out himself.
In fact, if anything, it has been proven beyond that Pakistan IS indeed a failed state with dysfunctional systems of government and the absence of an infrastructure, a safety net that can takeover in times of crisis and anarchy.
Also, obviously missing in action is an alternate quality leadership. There is no one, apart from the notorious and the corrupt, tried and tested ones, who can lead the nation out of this morass. And this is the very reason why a tyrannical despot like Musharraf has got away with reckless and suicidal decisions such as the one he took last Saturday.
What will transpire now is not known really. However, if the General survives one entire week after the imposition of emergency, the guy is in for a long run. He ain’t going nowhere! If the military top brass has to revolt, then this is the best time to do so. As days go by, Musharraf will retain much of the grip that he lost due to his callous act.
News from the Western capitals is not good. Pakistan may end up losing tons of financial aid due to Musharraf’s misdemeanor. Washington had been urging him to refrain from doing anything out of the ordinary. The EU, for several months now, had been putting pressure on him to doff the uniform. Things will change drastically now. It remains to be seen what sort of steps will be taken to ‘punish’ Pakistan.
The days and weeks to come are going to test the strength and character of the Pakistani nation. One feels sad that there is always lack of steadiness and stability in that country. Do we deserve this treatment from those in power? Can Pakistan, at age 60, overcome odds and rise from the ashes? Tough questions. Finding answers to them are perhaps an impossible adventure!
None of them are Islamic valeus so what is your point?
Yes, adultery is not an Islamic value, but hypocrisy, looting murder are. Crimes we have been committing in Islamic Rebublic of Pakistan. Get your facts straight before you open your loud mouth.
Please ignore my typos.
Bhai, iss Islam-baazi nay iss ka peecha bhi nahin chora. Aap ko Imran ki morality nahin pasand, tou matt vote deejiaye ga. Khatam baat. Is tamam discussion ko highjack koun kartain hain?
Rashid Hasan With due respect Sir, you are toeing the George Bush’s line.If you look at our history, ‘ Maulvis ” never got more than 5% votes in fair elections.So this fear of Maulvis is baseless.I think people opposing MR. musharraf b/c he is a dictator___not b/c of his ethnicity or his ” enlightened moderation”.
@Rashid Hassan
Well just one thing to say at your comments, if today lawayers and masses upset army them tommrow those mullah can be thrown to dustbins too.
It looks like every one is clamoring for democracy, civil government, impartial and empowered judiciary and for army to go back to barracks. These are all fine principles and should be adhered to and cherished by all civilized people. I believe now most of the Pakistanis think the same way as well.
BUT there is still something that trumps everything. Such is our state (Zia’s legacy) that all our (Pakistani people’s) rationality will be gone and everyone will line up heart and soul if Musharraff grows a beard, euthanise his pet dogs, calls himself Ameer-ul-Momineen, calls his parliament composed of people like Sheikh Rasheed and Wasi Zafar as “Majlis-e-Shoorah”, does not talk of moderation and starts using words like Mulsim Ummah, Islam, Jihad, etc. on every occassion and start referring to Supreme court justices as Qazis, call the police department (or beef it up with another satellite organization) as “department of Amr bil Maroof and Nahi Anil munkir”, let Hudood laws continue as it is, dons chadders on every saints tomb, and also if the rumors are true, pulicly trash his bottle of wine (ala Amitabh on the request of Rekha in Suhag :-)) etc. etc. Therefore it makes me sad to observe that all the protests and anger are against his person and not against the army rule. Of course intelligent and eloquent people like Aitizaz Ahsan and Fakhruddin G Ibrahim and you are constantly trying to inculcate the point that it is the army rule which is wrong and not the person of Musharraf.
Let us maintain the same instance against Army rule even if the Army chief looks and talks like Qazi Hussain Ahmed and civilian democratically elected leader is a woman like Sherry Rahman. I think it will take a generation or two. We may also need to address and resolve the “burning” questions of whether Islam allows for democracy and whether a woman can rule Momineens. Yes, amongst muslims, the jury is still out on it, even in the 21st century.
While Musharraf and his army took us back 50 years for the very plain reason of they having guns and we don’t, there are people (of reasonable power and clout) who wants to take us back all the way to 5th century employing the same means!! They are equally terrible no matter how moral they sound.
Eternal optimist as I am, there is a silverlining I can see in all this (and this is my personal opinion). Let the two evils fight it out between them once for all if fate and circumstances (some call it USA :-)) has pitched them against each other. Once both weakoned and withered, a democratic civilian rule can usher in, and in all probability, survive and thrive. If Army gets defeated by masses and lawyers now, I am afraid, Maulvis will quickly move in to fill the void and that would be the beginning of another nightmare - one that may be worst than the ones on the Elm street.