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
Let me make a correction of my earlier post. Iftikhar Chaudry Did not take two oats under PCO of 1999. He actually took three. One as a CJ of BHC, one as the Judge of the apex court and one as the CJP.
I did not jump into the discussion all day today. I just wanted to see the heated arguments and the overly emotional crowd of people did not disappoint. All you guys who think that the rule of democracy will magically appear in Pakistan overnight are fooling yourselves.
Those who think that this is the worst thing in the history of Pakistan should look at the past year. We had scores of bombing, hundreds of soldiers captured or killed, citizens of Pakistan slaughtered in public, militants performing a flag march inside Pakistani territory, parallel governments and courts established and honest businessmen threatened and you still think that this action is the worst thing to have happened to Pakistan?
Like few before me said, the supreme court started abusing its powers. They had no right to administer the government yet they practically dictated their way to make lives miserable for Mushy.
Today Iftikhar Chaudry looks like a hero who stood up to a dictator and the emotional people are praising his act but don’t forget that he is the same person who took oath from a dictator under the PCO of 1999 when the constitution was in abeyance. As a matter of fact he took two oaths under the PCO, one as the Judge of the Apex court and the second as the CJ. To those who are calling Dogar names, just remember that Iftikhar was at Dogar’s place few years ago and did exactly what Dogar did yesterday.
i support Mushy’s martial law as this is what happens to dead nations! a Nation that never stood against the execution of the democratically elected PM Z A Bhutto. This is what happens that his daughter joins in hands with the dictators! People have learned helplessness!they wont come on streets as they know what will happen? 5 years of govt and another martial law?
LOL this army is best conquers its own territory after every 5 years!
Hail to Mushy and hail to pak army! Men at their Best!
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=