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
@Adnan: I am not in Pakistan. However, in US, I was unable to get Aaj TV transmisions on Saturday.
Last night was the first time I could.
http://www.jumptv.com/en/channel/aajtv/
just heard
Attorney general anounced dessolution of
National Assembly on 15 nov.07
T.Shabbir says:November 4th, 2007 2:04 pm
Having read most of the blogs here, I have come to the conclusion that the Pakistanis living abroad
are perhaps more concerned and aware of the menacing threat of terrorism spreading like wild fire in Pakistan. Pakistanis (living in Pakistan) are de-sensitized to the regular suicide bombings, the bloody body parts lying on the streets, doesn’t seem to bother them anymore. I dont hear too many condemnations against terrorists, in fact there seems to be a perverted sense of sympathy for them, which perhaps arises from misguided loyalty towards an extremist version of Islam. The CJ freed many suspected terrorists, under detention, he also called to restore Lal masjid, didnt hear a peep out of anyone regarding that. There was unabashed vendetta and judicial activism, going on against the government. Whilst many people in Pakistan hold the CJ as their hero and god etc. Pakistanis living abroad, including myself were disgusted with what was going on in the SC. Nobody likes emergency rule, but lets face it, under these circumstances, that was the only option left. The CJ and gang of activist judges are responsible for the present situation.
Dear Mr. Shabbir
Please correct your comments, it was not the CJ but the two member bench comprising of the Mr. Khokhar and Mr. Javaid Buttar, who ordered for the opening of Lal Mosque and release of prisoners. Further, you are not the representative of Pakistani community so dont generalise your thoughts on the whole community.
irfan says:
He cannot properly speak his mother tongue and National language of Pakistan.
Mr. Irfan:
Its not that he can’t he doesn’t. No wonder his support mainly comes from outside, the overseas variety, our borders rather than from within, except of course the bunch of goons, known as the Army.
Mr. Irfan:
I second your ideas.
Mr T. Shabbir:
And you are one of those IDIOTS. Resident Pakistanis don’t need your stupid sermons. They are more intelligent than you are. Thank you very much.
The verdict to reopen the lal masjid was given by a bench comprising two pro-govt judges (namely Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Javed Butter) who have taken oath under the new PCO. But Musharraf’s apologists are going on and on about how the court was blocking the war on terror without having their facts right. Here is the daily times report on the case; please spread this info around as much as possible to prevent the govt’s lies from being believed.
Govt ordered to open Lal Masjid for prayers from today
(Daily times, Oct 3, 2007)
* SC asks govt to pay compensation to families of those killed in operation
* CDA given one year to complete project on Hafsa site
* Aziz’s nephew appointed deputy prayer leader
By Irfan Ghauri
ISLAMABAD: A two-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered the government to open Lal Masjid for prayers from today (Wednesday) and pay
compensation to the families of those killed during the 10-day military operation against the mosque and the Jamia Hafsa madrassa.
Hearing a suo motu case, the bench consisting of Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Javed Buttar also directed the acting Islamabad inspector general
of police to register cases concerning those who were either killed or went missing during the operation.
Jamia Hafsa site: The bench directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to complete the construction of a proposed educational project at the site
of the demolished Jamia Hafsa in a year.
October 15 deadline: The SC bench set an October 15 deadline for the Islamabad administration to ensure the shifting of girl students of Jamia Hafsa to
Jamia Fareedia, which was sealed during the military operation. It asked the Islamabad sessions’ judge to find the legal heirs of those killed in the operation
within a month and compensate them within two months.
Justice Buttar declared that Lal Masjid would be used only for prayers and no madrassa would function on its premises.
Ayesha, a final year student of Jamia Hafsa, contested the government’s figures on the Lal Masjid killings and claimed that she had seen the killing of
400 boys and 250 girl students during the first few days of the military operation. Justice Abbasi asked her if she had recorded her statement with the
police, but the girl said no one had taken her statement.
National Crisis Management Cell Director General Javed Iqbal Cheema, however, put the number of the Lal Masjid causalities at 103. Referring to the names
mentioned in the Jamia Hafsa record, Cheema said that the madrassa had registered 1,700 girl students of whom 1,526 were boarders. Umme Hasaan, principal
of Jamia Hafsa and wife of former chief cleric of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz, claimed that the record produced by Cheema was three years old. She said
that 450 girls were present on the madrassa premises on July 9 when the operation was at its peak. She said that 30 girls died in the classroom of Dora-e-Hadith
on July 3 in front of her.
Aziz’s nephew: The SC has appointed Maulana Abdul Ghaffar and Aamir Siddique, nephew of Maulana Abdul Aziz, as temporary prayer leader and deputy prayer
leader of Lal Masjid, Online reported.
“the army will never let any powerful and intelligent leader to succeed in the country. ”
@irfan
It means army is more intelligent, they play better politics, I wish our politicians learn to play this kind of politics. Do you think judges and media could have waited 15 days when Musharraf would have shed his uniform, then they could have started the aggitation and open challenge to the government. You know you have to play your cards wisely in politics.
BTW, do you see any intelligent leader in our political parties that you think should be supported by the public.
Do you think political parties should give us more choices than NS, BB and Maulana.