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
I received the following from a friend who works for PTI:
“Imran Khan did not escape house arrest in Lahore as has been reported in electronic media, we are unsure of his whereabouts, and he has likely been kidnapped by the agencies,
Imran Khan was told by the police last night that he is under house arrest. But around 3 am the police brought warrants to take him to prison and at that time it was discovered that he had mysteriously vanished while there were over two dozen policemen surrounding his house. We are not sure where they have taken him as there is no way he could have gone out without the knowledge of the police and he could be in a lot of danger.
Please put this issue on all types of blogs for discussion.
Please instruct all your International Chapters to protest in front of their respective Pakistani High Commissions as his life could be in danger.
In addition to this please start a million signature petition to
free Imran Khan and send it to the UN, amnesty international and the human rights commission or whichever organization you can think of.”
KAWA,
Support of Don of London, & the” Q ” League makes me
think :
Among all the Pakistani Politicians !!
Who is the fake Don Juan or not real Don Quixote ??
I don’t understand, why some of our commentators
like to put BB and Nawaz together, Baba, there is a
great difference between
A female thief, thug, swindler, escroc, lier, agent
money launderess (Valencia court in Spain
charges, Oil for food case 154 millions US$ )
we can’t even confirm she is socialist, communist, liberal
secular ?? What is she, no one can own her ??
A male (ex-gunjaa, hair grafted) handsome, healthy, rich
generous, fraudulantly removed by pendoos Chaudrys
nakly feudals, non of the corruption charges were
proved, genuin politician nothing to do with NROs
The nation is held hostage to a mad-man hell bent to hold on to power at the expense of our country’s destruction. It was painful to see his face and hear his lies on National TV yesterday justifying his actions against the judiciary.
He has played two cards very well in the last several years; Firstly portraying himself to the West as the last hope against terrorism in Pakistan and secondly;
Playing the ethnic card and keeping the support of “The Don of London” which in reality is the only ligitimate political party supporting him. The “Q” League being a cluster of vultures gathered together with the support of ISI and have no representation in the masses as a political party.
The one good thing that Musharraf has been able to acheive and deserves credit for (which no-one has been able to do in the last 60 years) is completelty errording Army’s support in the masses in Punjab. Punjab has been criticized for years by other provinces of never raising the voice against military rulers or supporting and following Army dictates without questions. Not anymore and thanks to Musharraf!
I hope that this is the last ‘tango’ this man has played and saner elements within the military stand up and stop playing to his slogan;
“UNITY OF COMMAND”!!!
Omar R. Quraishi,
Good piece!