Musharraf declares state of emergency

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2007-11-03 11:47am

The 2007 Pakistani state of emergency was declared by President Pervez Musharraf on November 3, 2007.[1][2] The police have surrounded the Supreme Court with the Justices inside in Islamabad.[1][2]

Background
Following the Pakistani presidential election in 2007, which was won by Musharraf, the President is awaiting approval from the Supreme Court on his eligibility to run in those elections.[1] The court had recently announced that they would delay their decision on the case.[3] Parliamentary elections are due to be held in 2008.

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in the country on the evening of November 3, 2007, and issued a provisional constitutional order, the state-run Pakistan Television announced."The Chief of the Army Staff (General Musharraf) has proclaimed state of emergency and issued provisional constitutional order," the brief announcement said at 6.10 pm Pakistan time without giving any details. Under the order, the constitution remains suspended, the federal cabinet has ceased to exist and the judges will have to take oath afresh.

Dawn news reported that the Army entered the Supreme Court in Islamabad and has detained Chief Justice Ifthekar Choudhry.Private television channels are off air in Islamabad. Reports say barriers and barbed wires have come up at important points in Islamabad.

Pakistan Television said Musharraf, who is also chief of army staff, had issued a provisional constitutional order declaring an emergency. Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while still army chief. Army pickets have also sprung up in Peshawar, the capital of North-West Frontier Province that borders Afghanistan.

Stung by criticism it was adding to a sense of instability, the Supreme Court said on Friday it would reconvene on Monday and try to finish the case quickly, having earlier said it would take a break until November 12 -- just three days before Musharraf's current term is due to expire. Earlier Attorney General Malik Qayyum told the court that there was no move by the government to impose martial law.

Links to BBC News and CNN articles on the situation.

Gustav32Vasa · Post by **Gustav32Vasa** » 2007-11-03 03:32pm

This will end well.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2007-11-03 06:04pm

Interesting that Bhutto just left the place a few days ago to 'visit family'.

Could she be more shaken then thought by the assassination attempt? And with her bowing out, Musharraf just said 'screw it'?

Or is that Musharraf was simply going to wait until she was out of the country to move ahead?

Or could Bhutto have just found out that this was what he was planning and decided to leave the place in a hurry?

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2007-11-04 02:35am

Bhutto probably figured that it was going to go badly after the bombings, so she took off in time.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2007-11-04 03:10am

I heard on the news yesterday afternoon that Bhutto had returned from Dubai and is under house arrest.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2007-11-04 06:29am

I wouldn't worry about this too much...as long as Mushy is alive. He controls the levers of power in Pakistan; namely the Army; and I'm sure he's staffed it with Mushy loyalists. However; if he gets iced, all bets are off; since then the Army would be completely devastated, since I bet Mushy hasn't staffed it with smart enough people to run a country (to prevent a general from getting ideas).

It's kind of hard to describe it in writing; but as long as he's alive; the Army is effectively led; and can be counted on to control the levers of power in Pakistan and have enough power to squeeze out the other groups competing for power.

If he does get iced; then the army no longer has enough power relative to the other groups.

dragon · Post by **dragon** » 2007-11-04 06:34am

So I wonder if this is giving Bush any ideas for next year. I could see him trying something like this to stay in power.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-11-04 01:30pm

There will probably be a purge soon. Musharaff well, is probably trying to clear the trash...

DavidEC · Post by **DavidEC** » 2007-11-04 04:40pm

Musharraf is buying short-term power for even more long-term extremism. It's a real liberal nightmare, support a secular dictator or run the democratic gauntlet with the possibility of nuclear-armed theocrats.

dragon wrote:So I wonder if this is giving Bush any ideas for next year. I could see him trying something like this to stay in power.

Hm, plenty of historical precedent, and legal possibility, and public/military support, as well...

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2007-11-04 05:17pm

If the US supports Musharraf's actions, Pakistani extremists will hate Americans even more for supporting a military dictatorship. If the US denounces Musharraf's actions, Pakistani extremists might take power and... Well, you can imagine how bad things will get if groups like the Taliban get control over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-11-04 05:21pm

Sidewinder wrote:If the US supports Musharraf's actions, Pakistani extremists will hate Americans even more for supporting a military dictatorship. If the US denounces Musharraf's actions, Pakistani extremists might take power and... Well, you can imagine how bad things will get if groups like the Taliban get control over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Quite frankly, given that they are extremists makes order of magnitude with regard to hate a bit... redundant?

I think the more pertinent problem would be alienating the moderate populace.

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2007-11-04 05:30pm

Absolute powerrrrrr!!!