Emergency In Pakistan

Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday and deployed troops across Islamabad in a bid to reassert his authority against political rivals and militants. The general has suspended the constitution and declared an emergency; the move has put off parliamentary elections due on next January for a year or so. Seven Supreme Court judges immediately rejected the emergency. Government blocked all the private channels and telephone services. Troops sealed off Constitution Avenue. Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhury had been told that his services were “no longer required”. Musharraf was waiting a Supreme Court ruling whether he was eligible to run re-election last month while still being army chief.
Pakistan’s internal and external challenges have already started taking toll on General, as Pakistan is poised for a showdown with militants and foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan. US Centcom Commander General William Fallon pressured Islamabad to allow US and international security assistance forces to operate inside Pakistan to remove the remnants of Al Qaida and Taliban. The iron handed measures are likely to worsen the situations and its strained relations with Afghanistan. Islamabad is to go ahead with its plans of fencing and mining 2400Kms of Durand Line as a last bid to save its skin from influx of terrorists. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto said that she agreed that the country was on the verge of destabilization, but felt emergency rule was not the solution. She said there was a real of a takeover by radical Islamic elements, which have grown in strength and stature in last five years. This emergency rule is only going to strengthen them. US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice said the US would review its aid to Pakistan under the new developments. She added, “ It is in the best interests of Pakistan, and Pakistani people for there to be a prompt return to the constitutional course, for there to be an affirmation that elections will be held for a new parliament. Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz said up to 500 Opposition activists has been arrested in past 24 hours and extraordinary measures will remain “as long as necessary”. Some 200-armed police forces stormed the rights commission office in Lahore and arrested about 50 activists.
Musharraf’s act indicated the real reason for emergency was to remove Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhury who was widely believed to give ruling against Musharraf’s election this week. But Musharraf cannot repeat his feat of 1999 coup when he acted against unpopular Nawaz Sharif. In 2007, he is more unpopular than Sharif ever was and his imposition of emergency is completely personally motivated.