Musharraf declares state of emergency

[Tim]

Pakistan's political crisis has reached its predictable zenith, with President Pervez Musharraf declaring a state of emergency on Nov. 3. Opposition party workers, civil society leaders, human-rights activists, lawyers, members of the judiciary, and extremist sympathizers—but no members of the armed forces—have been arrested without charge and jailed. "Inaction at this moment is suicide for Pakistan," said Musharraf in a nationally televised statement. "And I cannot allow this country to commit suicide."

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Musharraf is selling this as him safeguarding the country from terrorists. But from everything I have been hearing, it looks like he is trying to save his own neck. It seems that the supreme court in Pakistan is about to rule against him, and if that's the case, then he will lose power. So this is a way to guarantee that he stays in power for now.

I'll have to keep my eye out for more news on this.

 

[Peter Parka]

Not sure of all the facts but hasn't their former PM and daughter of Bhutto who got farcically executed recently returned?

 

[Tim]

Yes, she has just returned home.

 

[Tim]

As many as 3,500 detained in Pakistan

As international pressure mounted, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Monday he would give up his military role and become a civilian leader as soon as the political situation allows.
"I am determined to execute this third stage of transition fully and I'm determined to remove my uniform once we correct these pillars in judiciary and the executive and the parliament," he told foreign diplomats in comments broadcast on state-run Pakistan Television.
But even as he spoke, police fired tear gas and clubbed lawyers holding a pro-democracy protest, and the independent press remained silenced.
In the eastern city of Lahore, about 2,000 lawyers gathered a the High Court. As they tried to march out onto a main road, they were overcome by a swarm of police, swinging clubs and firing tear gas.

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