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
@Ajmal,
You may have gotten an idea from my post that I am pro Musharraf. Reality is far from it. I am only Pro Pakistan, people mean nothing to me.
The points I made about Iftikhar Chaudry were just to put his “heroic” acts in perspective. What moral ground does he have to be the beacon of justice and the nemesis of dictatorship when he himself took three oaths from the same dictator to reach to the top under a PCO and then ratified that very PCO in a judicial ruling??
When you talk about the great rulings he has passed, don’t forget the people he has let go that were accused of grave acts of terrorism and most certainly don’t forget the mothers who have lost their children because these terrorists were let go to commit their crimes again. I don’t have any proof of it just like you don’t have any proof of their innocence but my scenario could be very real.
As for the corruption, I am sure there are a lot of corrupt government officials just like there are a lot of corrupt clerks, bankers and businessmen. We are corrupt by nature and our leaders are nothing more than our reflections. As for the normal crying of Pakistani people that middle class can not afford flour, nothing will ever change. We will always cry over the price of wheat even though wheat in Pakistan is amongst the cheapest compared to other markets. I bet you a sack of wheat that if Government of Pakistan tomorrow starts giving away one sack of wheat per person per month, The people will cry and complain why they are not getting two.
@Mahmood.
Well at that time no one also throw out the honurable judges from supreme court.and if at that time internet facilty would have been available at larger scale you would have seen all this too.
First reaction, Zia ul Haq’s ”bhoot” is back to haunt us again! However and realistically when one reads through the declared promulgation and reads into the message of President Musharraf last night two things become absolutely clear.
1. The SC was indeed meddling too much into the executive. Instead of being harmonious it was rather a constant clash which was retarding decesion making by the executive.
2. The spate of suicide bombing, radicalism and extremism have indeed gone out of control with little or no fear of the law enforcer. Media, in particular the likes of Geo/ Hamid Mir/ Iftikhar and ARYONE, were going over their heads with quite brazen & irreposnsible reporting and visuals.
If we look at our alternative options vis-a-vis proverbial democracy, we have literally to choose between, BENAZIR and/ or NAWAZ. Both are unnacceptable again as PM’s. Our political parties have again failed to come up with alternative leadership and are still the basions of dynasty rules.
This action also serves US interests in this region. At least now the government would be able to round-up the ”black” extremists and would be able to take stern action against the likes of Maulana Fazlullah who had literally taken this country as hostage to their antiquated beliefs and pre-historic implemention mechanisms. Let us get rid of these extremists once and for all and purge them from our social fabric before they kill other muslims ruthlessly in the name of Islam.
Emergency is not the answer to our problems, democracy is. But in the absence of clear democratic bollards, such actions are not completely out of place either.
@Ajmal, you are complaining about only watching PTV as if Pakistanis are so use to of open media . How many news channels and criticism on government we were watching before Mussharraf?
@Harris
Well do you think it was supreme court who created these problems.and which honest buisnessman are you talking.Those who just stock the wheat for more time to take it’s price aboce the range of even a middle class.The parrallel government you are talking was started by your beloved general zia.
And your comment that emotional people are praising CJ act(mind you he is still CJ constitutionally), well he has the honour of being first Judge to say no to military dictator.
If you want to know what great verdicts he has given then go ask steel mill workers,go ask families of those people whose sons were taken into custody without any solid evidence against him(just to make us happy), go ask those people who don’t have enough money to even buy wheat.If he has taken notice on these things,its because government is doing nothing.Your so called governement didn’t have the courage to do any thing themselves so if CJ was doing they felt ashamed and decided to punish CJ.
I might agree with some of your point that he took oath from musharaf and he might did wrong things but could you name one person in your respected governement including your high rank generals who have not done corruption.
You people say he was just trying to take revenge from musharraf.(I guess you must watch PTV only and whatever they say it seems like 100% truth to you),well he CJ just wanted to do what a real judge should do.Just try to show respect to those people that work for you.