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Emergency in Pakistan : Military rulers do not quit |
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B.I. Saini
What observers were expecting for a long time, finally took place in Pakistan on Saturday, Nov. 3, when Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended the Constitution and imposed Emergency in the country. In the virtual Martial Law imposed in Pakistan, which has been disguised as Emergency, President Musharraf has acted fast to put down all those opposing him or who may have any potential to oppose his design to rule the country for another five years. Independent minded Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohd. Choudhary and several of his fellow judges have been removed from office and a pliable judge appointed as the new Chief Justice. Significantly, Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar and five other judges, who agreed to continue had to take fresh oath under the newly promulgated Provisional Constitution Order (PCO). Presumably, they will not be able to act on any challenges to the PCO.
Apart from the judiciary, which was seen to be taking up cudgels on behalf of the common people against those in authority, the media has been targeted under the Emergency regulations. All private TV channels have been taken off the air and telecast of foreign channels through cable operators has been stopped.
The authorities have also acted against the Bar and senior lawyers who had worked against the Government’s ill-advised move to suspend Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohd. Choudhary earlier this year. The President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Choudhary Aitzaz Ahsan and other activist lawyers have been detained. The phone connections of several political leaders have also been snapped.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf in his order proclaiming Emergency has cited increasing militancy and terrorist activities and what he called increasing interference by ‘some members of the Judiciary in the government policy’ as among the main factors responsible for his drastic action.
While Gen. Musharraf is blaming militancy and the judiciary for creating a situation where Emergency became the only way out, observers say that he may have acted on finding out that the Supreme Court verdict on his eligibility to stand for re-election as President while occupying the office of the Army Chief was likely to go against him. The court was expected to come out with its verdict this week, and if it went against Gen. Musharraf, it would have thwarted his ambition to become President again.
In the scenario which is prevailing in Pakistan, it is the Army which calls the shots and not those occupying high offices like those of the President and the Prime Minister. Significantly, the proclamation of emergency has been issued by Gen. Musharraf in his capacity as Chief of the Army Staff and not as President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. That shows where the power lies, and that also explains Gen. Musharraf’s reluctance to give up his uniform.
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