Picture: After Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, truckloads of soldiers arrived in the centre of the capital Islamabad - BBC (Nov 3, 2007)
For Text of Emergency Proclamation (pdf), Click here
Majority of Judges refused to take new Oath: The News
World leaders condemn state of emergency in Pakistan
International Herald Tribune, November 3, 2007
NEW DELHI: The United States and Britain expressed grave concerns about Pakistan military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency Saturday, with leaders from both countries calling for a swift return to a democratic government.
Leaders from India, Pakistan's nuclear-armed rival, had a more tempered reaction, aimed at keeping tensions low, saying they "regret the difficult times" in Pakistan and hope for a return to "normalcy."
The Bush administration, which has cast Musharraf as a key ally in its global fight against terrorism, said it was deeply disturbed by Musharraf's move.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she last spoke to Musharraf a few days ago but that other U.S. officials had spoken with him more recently and made clear that "even if something happens, that we would expect the democratic election to take place because Pakistan has got to return to a constitutional order as soon as possible, and Pakistanis have to have a prospect of free and fair elections."
Speaking to reporters during a flight from Turkey to Israel, Rice said U.S. officials told Musharraf they did not support declaring a state of emergency and "that it was absolutely essential that those elections be held."
Musharraf's move was seen as a battle lost by the Bush administration, which has tried to halt any move toward authoritarianism in Pakistan.
Bush and Musharraf have allied themselves, at times uneasily, since the Sept. 11 attacks and Pakistan helped U.S. and coalition forces battle al-Qaida, which had used the country as a safe haven.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was "deeply disturbed" by the developments.
British officials called the state of emergency a major setback for Pakistani democracy.
"We recognize the threat to peace and security faced by the country, but its future rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement. "I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today, which will take Pakistan further from these goals."
The Commonwealth, the 53-member grouping of Britain and former British colonies, also condemned Musharraf's decision, calling it "a matter of deep concern."
"It is a step in the wrong direction," said Secretary-General Don McKinnon.
India's leaders issued a less forceful response, though India has perhaps the most at stake if Pakistan descends into chaos. Pakistan and India have fought three wars against one another and still have a tense relationship, though relations have improved in recent years.
"We regret the difficult times that Pakistan is passing through," Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. "We trust that conditions of normalcy will soon return permitting Pakistan's transition to stability and democracy to continue."
Pakistan's opposition politicians railed against the state of emergency.
Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called on Musharraf to resign immediately. Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister, flew back to Pakistan from United Arab Emirates late Saturday.
"Unless Gen. Musharaff reverses the course it will be very difficult to have fair elections," she told Sky News television by telephone.
She said she had returned to the country to raise the morale of the Pakistani people.
After her arrival in Karachi, Bhutto dismissed Musharraf's arguments that the emergency was necessary.
"I agree with him that we are facing a political crisis, but I believe the problem is dictatorship," she told Sky News. "I don't believe the solution is dictatorship.
"The extremists need a dictatorship, and a dictatorship needs extremists," she said.
Also See: Musharraf Declares Emergency Rule: New York Times
Musharraf Defends Emergency Rule: BBC
TIMELINE: Pakistan President Musharraf's highs and lows: Reuters
Bhutto condemns State of Emergency in Pakistan: VOA
Miliband "gravely concerned" by Pakistan move: Reuters
4 comments:
we pakistanies living abroad are ashamed over what is going on. this is utter nonsense, and immoral act.entire judiciary is fired in just a second. this military can not face truth of decisions against it. musharraf and his foolish advisers will continue to change and mess with constitution the way it suits them to rule for ever. as a result country is getting weaker and destablised irrecoverably. they have got rednecks to take oath under military and abide by his majesty. and even worst are their ally polititions. all they are doing just destroying this country.
Thanks Hasan for providing this public service. I look forward to what you think all this means for Pakistan.
Best,
Peter
We Pakistanis living abroad are more ashamed of corrupt leaders like Bhutto Sharif and their likes. Did any one asked what is Bhutto Shariff's contribution toward “demo crazy” during their roles as ruler of Pakistan? Other than selling Pakistan to Saudi's etc. Media like Geo propagating the agenda of Taliban and alkaida during Lal Masjid debacle.
As per Owen Bennett Jones in his interview with the NPR on Friday Nov 11 07. Bhutto can call her few wadera(landlord) friends, who on turn will send few bus
loads of rented demonstrators to favor Bhutto.
Imposing self exile and taking refuge in the “Haus of Saud”, these kleptocrats and their cohorts are back shedding crocodile tears.
we pakistanies living abroad are utterly ashamed of more than half of its lifetime of military rule. military that lost wars in dhaka, kargil and kashmir. can you give any other examlpe of a mass surrender of 100thousand armed men. we are more ashamed of military creating its own puppets when it suits them , brings them back. we are more ashamed of military demolishing rule of law and judiciary, and further who would not abide by them is punished. another thing to be ashamed of is calling others corrupt and then shaking hands with them and taking corruptin charges back. yet another point of shame and humiliation is if this so called nuclear military cant fight home grown terrorists, then who will, and what if they are confronted by a regular army, their moto is just run away and surrender.
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