Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) — Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf imposed emergency rule and suspended the
constitution, snubbing U.S. President George W. Bush’s
efforts to promote democracy in the world’s
second-largest Muslim nation.
Pakistan's chief of army staff has declared a state
of emergency and issued a provisional constitutional
order,'' according to a statement read on state-run
Pakistan Television today. Musharraf, 64, likely will
make a televised address later in the evening, PTV
said. He last imposed emergency rule for three years
in 1999.
The crackdown comes before the Supreme Court is due to
rule on the legality of Musharraf's re-election as
head of state while also serving as army chief.
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto flew to Dubai on Nov.
1, two weeks after surviving an assassination attempt
on her return from eight years in exile.
Musharraf did not dismiss the government of Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz and the 342-member parliament,
which is due to complete its five-year term on Nov.
15, PTV reported. National parliamentary elections are
scheduled by Jan. 15, 2008.
Pakistan Peoples’ Party strongly condemns this
decision and we will resist it in every way
possible,’’ Sherry Rehman, Bhutto’s spokeswoman said
in a phone interview from Karachi.
Gates Sealed
The main gates of the Supreme Court in Islamabad were
sealed by security forces and roads leading to the
building were blocked off. The Pakistan Rangers, the
nation’s paramilitary force, occupied the buildings of
the top court, parliament and PTV. Privately-run
television news channels went off air across the
country around 5 p.m. today.
This is akin to another martial law,'' Ahsan Iqbal,
spokesman for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said
in a phone interview.
If the situation was such that
emergency was necessary to save the country, then
Musharraf is responsible and should have resigned.’’
Musharraf is risking the billions of dollars of
military and economic aid that Bush pumped into
Pakistan in return for his support for the U.S. war on
terror. Musharraf was on the brink of suspending
parliamentary rule in August before U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice telephoned to urge him against
that course, U.S. officials had said.
Martial Law
Rice said yesterday Musharraf should avoid imposing
martial law and go ahead with elections due by Jan.
15, Reuters reported. Moderate forces in Pakistan,
such as Bhutto, must work together to prepare for the
elections, Rice said, adding she hadn’t spoken to
Musharraf in recent days.
Martial law wouldn’t affect the work of the Supreme
Court and the 11-member panel will complete hearings
by Nov. 6 in the case challenging Musharraf’s
candidacy, Justice Javed Iqbal, who heads the panel,
said in court yesterday.
Musharraf, who has survived at least four
assassination attempts by Islamic extremists since
2001, has faced his greatest challenge since he seized
power in a military coup in 1999. Religious parties
oppose his support for Bush’s campaign against
terrorism and the country’s opposition parties are
demanding his resignation.
The general won the mandate for a second five-year
term on Oct. 6.
Pakistan’s stocks slumped the most in two months on
Nov. 1 after a suicide bomb attack, the second this
week, killed at least eight people and concern mounted
that the Supreme Court will rule Musharraf ineligible
for a second term.
Suicide Bomber
A suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a Pakistan
Air Force bus, killing at least eight people and
wounding 4 others near the industrial city of
Faisalabad.
More than 450 people have been killed in bombings
since security forces stormed the Red Mosque in
Islamabad in July, ending a challenge to the
government by clerics seeking to impose Islamic law in
the capital.
Pakistan is in the final phase of returning to full
democracy, Musharraf said on Oct. 30, according to the
official Associated Press of Pakistan. He said the
first phase from 1999 to 2002 involved him managing
the affairs of state while the second from 2002-2007
saw a fully functioning parliament where his role was
confined to giving advice to the government.
Former Prime Minister Bhutto said on Oct. 31 she had
heard ``rumors’’ Musharraf planned to impose a state
of emergency, GEO television reported. Musharraf must
respect the court’s decision, she said.
Twin Attacks
Bhutto, 54, who leads the second-biggest opposition
party in Parliament, was the target of twin suicide
bombings on Oct. 19 after she returned to Pakistan,
ending eight years of self- imposed exile. At least
136 people were killed and over 500 were injured.
As part of the deal allowing her return, Bhutto did
not object to Musharraf being re-elected Oct. 6 by the
current Parliament and state legislatures, a vote
boycotted by the opposition. Bhutto is hoping that the
laws will be changed to allow her to run for a third
term as prime minister in parliamentary elections.
Musharraf had agreed to give up control of the army by
Nov. 15 as part of the deal.
Musharraf sparked the most serious opposition to his
rule in March when he dismissed Supreme Court Chief
Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry on charges of
misusing authority. Lawyers and opposition parties
staged nationwide demonstrations until a 13- member
panel of Supreme Court judges reinstated Chaudhry in
July.
Islamic parties oppose Musharraf’s security operations
in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan and his
backing for the U.S.-led war on terrorism since 2001,
when he ended Pakistan’s support for the Taliban
regime that sheltered al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The Taliban were ousted from power in Afghanistan in
2001.