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
Faisal Bhai,
I salute your passion, please do send me an email at wasim@otherpakistan.org when you have a minute so the discussion can continue even after this ATP post. Maybe we can work together to create a better Pakistan.
By the way my offer of a guest post remains so let me know what you think via above email.
Feimanallah Pakistan
Wasim
This was said in democratic Presidential debate:
“”You cannot be a President of the United States who’s wanton in his expression of violence,” Kucinich said. “There’s a lot of people who need care. He might be one of them. If there isn’t something wrong with him, then there’s something wrong with us. This, to me, is a very serious question.”
If you trace Musharraf sayings and his actions, you wonder, if he is also one of them who need care. His official biography on his Presidential web site talks of a court martial. (He escaped it due to 1965 war). And he has posted a testimonial from a British General on his web site (read it).
Birds of the feather flock together. Musharraf has decided to burn his country before he is gone. Read times of India. The verdict against Musharraf was typed and was to be signed on Monday. I admire the courage of the Judges who took suo moto action to declare emergency (it is Martial Law—CNN) illegal and are under arrest at an undisclosed location.
They all end like this.
We Pakistanis are always crying about Mushy, yet we are not willing to rise up and be counted on streets, thus we deserve the citizenship of a failed nation state. Kudos to CJ for fighting the American fed.
By abrogating the constitution, Mushy has declared himself an outlaw leading a gun trotting mafia. Anybody supporting him is also outside the law. When he says that citizens have no rights, and if he is citizen of Pakistan, then he does not himself have any legal rights. It should an open season on him and his supporters. This will lead to anarchy and may be a civil war. If people of Pakistan do not take a stand now, it is going to get much worse.
As a start, people should wear black bands to show their sentiments.
Dear Wasim keep it up!!! I was not trying to stop you but wanted to tell the webmasters that every revolution starts with inflammation. And I dont fear anybody. Yesterday I had a meeting with the President Local Bar Association and was pretty vocal. I was called by some so called Major to stop saying things about Musharraf otherwise I will be sorted out. LOL. Well if everybody just goes to sleep then may be we are talking about PAKISTAN for the last time. People were saying such things in 1971.They were stopped. Nobody cared. NO EAST PAKISTAN today. IF we stop today..then God forbid NO P