Musharraf Imposes Martial Law

[Waqas 48]

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has declared emergency rule and suspended the country's constitution.

Troops have been deployed inside state-run TV and radio stations, while independent channels have gone off air.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who condemned the moves, has reportedly been sacked and is being confined to the Supreme Court with 10 other judges.

It comes as the court was due to rule on the legality of Gen Musharraf's re-election victory in October.

The Court was to decide whether Gen Musharraf was eligible to run for election last month while remaining army chief.

The BBC's Barbara Plett reports from Islamabad that fears have been growing in the government that the Supreme Court ruling could go against Gen Musharraf.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who recently returned to the country after years of self-exile to lead her party in the elections, was in Dubai on a personal visit when news of the declaration broke.

President Pervez Musharraf took power in a 1999 coup

However, she immediately travelled back to Pakistan in response.

Her return from self-imposed exile last month came about with the co-operation of Gen Musharraf.

Our correspondent says in the changed circumstances she will have to decide whether she is returning to lead the opposition against the president, or should wait on the sidelines in the hopes of securing an agreement with him.

Pakistan has been engulfed in political upheaval in recent months, and the security forces have suffered a series of blows from pro-Taleban militants opposed to Gen Musharraf's support for the US-led "war on terror".

Pakistan's Cabinet is currently meeting to approve Gen Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule. He is expected to address the nation later.

A leading lawyer and opposition figure, Aitzaz Ahsan, told reporters that he had been detained as the emergency powers were invoked.

"They have served me a detention order for 30 days," Mr Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"One man has taken entire nation hostage... Time has come for General Musharraf to go."

Parliamentary elections are due in January - it is not clear whether they will go ahead.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7076670.stm

, November 03, 2007

ISLAMABAD: Emergency has been imposed all over the country and a new PCO has been issued.

The Chief of the Army Staff has announced the imposition of emergency throughout the country and the constitution 1973 has been suspended while the chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has been removed from his office.

The sources said that President General Pervez Musharraf is likely to address to the nation tonight in this regard.

There are reports that the transmission of the private television channels have been terminated in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

On this occasion, an important meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association has been held in which it has been decided to strictly resist the imposition of martial law or emergency by the government.

It has also been decided in the meeting that any extra-judicial and extra-constitutional action will be strongly defied.

Source: GEO http://geo.tv/geonews/details.asp?id=13299&param=1

سرکاری ٹی وی چینل ’پی ٹی وی‘ کے مطابق پاکستان کے فوجی صدر جنرل پرویز مشرف نے بطور آرمی چیف عبوری آئینی حکم جاری کرتے ہوئے ملک بھر میں ایمرجنسی نافذ کرنے کا اعلان کیا ہے۔

ادھر سپریم کورٹ کے ججوں کی جانب سے ایک حکم جاری ہوا ہے جس میں انہوں نے عبوری آئینی حکم کو کالعدم قرار دیا ہے اور تمام فوجی اور سول حکام کو ہدایت دی ہے کوئی بھی پی سی او کے تحت خدمات سرانجام نہ دے اور نہ جج پی سی او کے تحت حلف اٹھائیں۔ مقامی میڈیا کے مطابق چیف جسٹس افتحار محمد چودھری کو ان کے عہدے سے ہٹا دیا گیا ہے تاہم سرکاری طور پر تاحال اس حوالے سے کچھ نہیں کہا جا رہا۔

سپریم کورٹ نے یہ حکم اعتزاز احسن کی ایک درخواست پر دیا جو انہوں نے جمعہ کو ایمرجنسی یا پی سی او کے ممکنہ نفاذ کے خلاف دائر کی تھی۔ یہ درخواست صدر کے کاغذاتِ نامزدگی کی منظوری کے خلاف دائر شدہ درخواست کی سماعت کے دوران دائر کی گئی تھی۔

اسلام آباد پولیس اور رینجرز کے اہلکاروں کو شاہراہِ دستور کے باہر واقع سفارت خانوں پر تعینات کر دیا گیا ہے جبکہ عوامی مقامات پر بھی پولیس اہلکاروں کو سادہ کپڑوں میں تعینات کیا گیا ہے۔

رینجرز اور پولیس کے اہلکار دارالحکومت کی سڑکوں پر گشت کر رہے ہیں

پولیس ذرائع کے مطابق پنجاب کانسٹیبلری کے ایک ہزار سے زائد پولیس اہلکاروں کو اسلام آباد رپورٹ کرنے کو کہا گیا ہے۔ اس ضمن میں جب پنجاب پولیس کے انسپکڑ جنرل احمد نسیم سے رابطہ کیا گیا تو انہوں نے نہ اس اطلاع کی تصدیق کی اور نہ ہی تردید۔ تاہم انہوں نے کہا کہ صوبے کی پولیس کو کسی بھی ناگہانی صورتحال سے نمٹنے کے اسلام آباد بھیجا جا سکتا ہے۔

سپریم کورٹ بار ایسو سی ایشن کے صدر اعتزاز احسن کی اہلیہ نے بی بی سی بات کرتےہوئے بتایا کہ اعتزاز احسن کو گرفتار کر لیا گیا ہے۔ گرفتاری سے قبل بی بی سی بات کرتے ہوئے کہا ان کا کہنا تھا کہ سپریم کورٹ کے ججوں نے ایمرجنسی کے نفاذ کو غیر آئینی قرار دیا ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ وکلاء پیر سے احتجاج کریں گے۔

پاکستان میں گزشتہ چار روز سے ایمرجنسی یا مارشل لاء کے نفاذ کی باتیں تواتر کے ساتھ ہوتی رہی ہیں اور ان افواہوں میں تیزی آج اس وقت نظر آئی جب ایوان صدر میں جنرل پرویز مشرف کی صدارت میں ایک اہم اجلاس منعقد ہوا۔

اجلاس میں حکومت کے قانونی مشیروں نے بھی شرکت کی اور اطلاعات کے مطابق جنرل پرویز مشرف کے صدارتی انتخاب کو خلاف آئین قرار دیے جانے کی صورت میں متبادل انتظامات کے بارے میں مشاورت کی گئی۔

اس سے قبل ملک میں امن و امان کی صورت حال پر غور کرنے کے لیے ایوان صدر میں ایک اہم اجلاس بھی ہوا جس میں قانون نافذ کرنے والے اداروں کے افسران اور صدر جنرل پرویز مشرف کے قریبی ساتھیوں نے شرکت کی جبکہ وزیراعظم ہاؤس میں ہونے والے ایک اجلاس میں پیمرا اور وزارت اطلاعات کے اعلیٰ حکام نے شرکت کی جس میں ملک میں نافذ العمل میڈیا پالیسی کا از سر نو جائزہ لیا گیا ہے۔

[Waqas 48]

Leading Pakistani lawyer detained in emergency

ISLAMABAD, Nov 3 (Reuters) - A leading Pakistani lawyer and opposition figure, Aitzaz Ahsan, said he had been detained after President Pervez Musharraf invoked emergency powers on Saturday.

"They have served me a detention order for 30 days," Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told reporters outside his home in the capital. "One man has taken entire nation hostage... Time has come for General Musharraf to go."

Fellow lawyers shouted "Go Musharraf Go" as Ahsan was taken away by police, waving a victory sign to his supporters.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSISL207751

[Waqas 48]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 3 — The Pakistani leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, declared a state of emergency tonight, suspending the country’s constitution, blacking out all independent television news reports and filling the streets of the capital with hundreds of police and soldiers.

The move appeared to be an effort by General Musharraf to reassert his fading power in the face of growing opposition from the country’s Supreme Court, civilian political parties and hard-line Islamists. Pakistan’s Supreme Court was expected to rule within days on the legality of General Musharraf’s re-election last months as the country’s president, which opposition groups have said was improper.

The emergency declaration was in direct defiance of repeated calls this week from senior American officials — including Secretary of State Condolezza Rice — to not declare an emergency. American officials in Islamabad said they were in the process of preparing a statement but waiting for approval from Ms. Rice, who was on a plane.

Soon after independent television stations went blank in the capital at just after 5 p.m., dozens of police forces surrounded the Supreme Court building, with justices still inside, as well as the justice’s homes. The justices were ordered to sign a “provisional constitutional order” enabling the emergency decree, according to Western diplomats, with the government leaving implicit that any failing to do so would be dismissed.

At least 6 of the court’s 11 justices gathered in the court and rejected the order, according to an aide to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Aitzaz Ahsan, a prominent lawyer, who led protests against General Musharraf this spring, was detained by the police after announcing that opposition groups would announce a schedule on Monday of nationwide strikes and protests.

Before being detained, he accused General Musharraf of “criminal flouting the constitution.” Adding that “the people and the lawyers cannot be suspended.”

The declaration came the day after Ms. Rice and the senior American military commander in the Middle East, Adm. William J. Fallon, both warned General Musharraf not to impose emergency rule. Admiral Fallon, meeting here with General Musharraf and his top generals, said such a move would jeopardize the extensive American financial support for the Pakistani military.

Ms. Rice personally intervened twice in the past four months to try to keep General Musharraf from imposing emergency rule, including telephoning him at 2 a.m. Pakistani time in August. Today, while traveling to Turkey for an Iraq security conference, she reinforced that message, saying, “I think it would be quite obvious that the United States wouldn’t be supportive of extra-constitutional means.”

General Musharraf was expected to speak on national television late Wednesday evening.

As of 8 p.m., the Chief Justice Chaudhry and the seven other judges who declared the emergency rule were still sitting inside the Supreme Court building, according to Absar Alam, the bureau chief for Geo TV, who slipped past the police cordon and into the courtroom.

The judges were trapped in the building, Mr. Alam said by mobile telephone from inside the court building. Security officials were preventing anyone leaving, and anyone entering, Mr. Alam said.

The order by the judges was addressed to the army corps commanders, the regional military leaders in Pakistan who were appointed by General Musharraf and remain loyal to him.

Mr. Chaudhry has been the focal point of the opposition to General Musharraf since the president sacked him from the post last spring. Mr. Chaudhry, supported by Pakistan’s lawyers, led a street style political campaign against his summary firing that helped fire the growing popular sentiment against General Musharraf.

The Supreme Court re-instated Mr. Chaudhry this summer, and in September the Supreme Court ruled in favor of General Musharraf, saying he could run for re-election while still in uniform.

But the focus was again on Mr. Chaudhry this week as the deadline drew closer for a decision on the legality of General Musharraf’s re-election on Oct. 6 by the national parliament and four provincial assemblies.

Rumors were rife in Islamabad, the capital, all week that the court, led by Mr. Chaudhry might decide against General Musharraf, or give a muddied verdict that would leave his position as president unclear.

This evening, several lawyers and journalists said they believed the opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, left Pakistan on Thursday for Dubai after realizing that General Musharraf was planning some form of martial law.

Aides to Ms. Bhutto said she planned to fly back to Pakistan, after hearing the emergency declaration was made. Members of her political party condemned the emergency order.

Ms. Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan in mid-October under an arrangement brokered by the United States and Britain, warned the government on Wednesday that she was opposed to emergency rule. “If emergency is imposed people will come out and resist it,” she said.

Source: NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/world/as...nyt&emc=rss

[Waqas 48]

President's Address to the nation:

Pakistan has to take some important but painful decision otherwise the solidarity of the country will be endangered. I have made the decisions under the principle of Pakistan First.

Pakistan comes first, is my guiding rule and it is above all personal gains.

The situation rapidly changes in last some months; terrorism and extremism are the affliction throughout the country.

The heart of Pakistan Islamabad is also afflicted by the extremism; the extremist elements want to enforce their archaic, outdated notions on all.

In my view, senior office-bearers are going to the Supreme Court and they are being insulted; so, they are reluctant to take any action.

I am being told that there 1000 cases regarding these officials are pending in the apex court. The air of disappointment prevails over the country.

The assemblies completed their full terms; I hoped that when the assemblies complete their full terms, the transition to the democracy would be completed.

Accordingly, I am very sorry to say that the economic boom has come to a halt. The investors have stopped investing in the country.

There is a boom in every sector including building and construction, agricultural system; I fear that my struggle of seven years may not be spoiled; I cannot see it declining and being spoiled.

I am being phoned and asked and taunted and said that you are such a decision-maker; why are you lagging behind in your decisions. The situation was going from bad to worse.

The media could not lend a helping hand to improve the situation but added insult to the injury, rather. This is the same media, which I gave full freedom; I said frequently that the media should not be negative; but, on some channels the situation was not bit better.

There has been clash between the legislature and the government institutions and the judiciary; both sides were in trouble; the government system was semi-paralyzed.

I hammered out a strategy in 1999. I played the professional role from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 onwards, the democratic system was run. This second phase was well steered.

It would be the first time in the history of Pakistan that National Assembly and Local Bodies would complete their tenures.

The third phase of transition was set in 2007, when the assemblies were coming to the conclusion of their term on November 15; and the polls would be well convened; first the presidential and then general elections scheduled to be held.

The first time in the history we introduced the transition under a strategy and it was making headway. But, the vested interests were obstructing its path.

There were only three months left; however, for the personal gains, the process was being halted by some unscrupulous people.

The economic conditions were on the rise towards well being; but the hurdles were put by these people and the investors ceased to be interested any more to invest in the country.

On the recommendation by the Prime minister, I sent reference against chief justice; it was a constitutional measure. This reference went into the Supreme Judicial Council as well.

Afterwards, the situation worsened; the political elements aggravated the already declining situation.

[Waqas 48]

It’s not the emergency but martial law: Sajjad Ali Shah

KARACHI: Former Chief Justice, Sajjad Ali Shah has said that along with the enforcement of emergency the constitution has been suspended and this was not the emergency but martial law.

Talking to Geo News, he said that the emergency in the country has been clamped through a wrong process.

China, Australia 'concerned' over Pakistan emergency decree

BEIJING/ SYDNEY: China expressed concern Sunday over Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's move to suspend the constitution and declare emergency rule.

Australia urges Pakistan to protect civil rights, constitution

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer urged Pakistan to return to constitutional rule, saying Canberra was "very concerned" about the declaration of a state of emergency there.

Several political leaders, lawyers arrested

ISLAMABAD: Several political leaders have been arrested in various parts of country in the wake of declaration of emergency in the country.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Khawaja Asif of Pakistan Muslim Legaue (N) and nationalist opposition leaders Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Qadir Magsi have also been arrested, the reports said.

The acting president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) was arrested in Multan. Former ISI chief Lt General (Retd) Hamid Gul also included among those who have been arrested.

The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan, and other legal leaders including Munir A. Malik, Ali Ahmad Kurd and Tariq Mehmood were also taken into custody immediately after emergency rule was imposed.

The police also picked up five lawyers from southwestern Quetta.

The number of arrests is likely to increase as police continue raids on residences of several other political leaders in different cities.

Former ISI chief Hamid Gul arrested

ISLAMABAD: The police on Sunday arrested Hamid Gul, an outspoken former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's premier spy agency, during a small public gathering.

“I am going to break a news that Former ISI chief Lt General (Retd) Hamid Gul has been arrested,” said, the senior analyst of Geo Television Network Dr. Shahid Masood.

"It is not an emergency, it's martial law. One man has put the country at stake to save his rule," Gul said before he was pushed into a police van and whisked off.

[Waqas 48]

Australian PM warns Musharraf on emergency rule

SYDNEY: Australia's conservative Prime Minister John Howard said Monday he had warned Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf he could not support his decision to put the country under emergency rule.

Howard said he told Musharraf that Australia could not support his actions.

"I indicated to him that whilst I retain considerable respect and admiration for the strong stance he has taken against terrorism, that Australia could not support in any way any extra-constitutional behaviour," he said.

"That the rule of law had to prevail and that I hoped there would be an early return to a more democratic path."

US suspend defence talks with Pakistan

BEIJING: The United States has suspended annual defence talks with Pakistan because of the political situation there, the Pentagon's spokesman said here Monday.

Eric Edelman, undersecretary of defence for policy, was supposed to head a US delegation for the talks beginning on Tuesday, but he will not go until political conditions improve, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters.

Morrell is travelling with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who also on Monday called for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to return his country to a constitutional democracy as soon as possible.

[rabbia 0]

nice coverage :)