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http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/8/8/192431.shtml?s=os
Pakistan May Declare State of Emergency
NewsMax.com Wires Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The government of embattled Pakistani President Gen.
Pervez Musharraf said Thursday it may impose a state of emergency due to
"external and internal threats" and deteriorating law and order in the
volatile northwest near the Afghan border.
Tariq Azim, minister of state for information, said some sentiment coming
from the United States, including from Democratic presidential hopeful Barak
Obama, over the possibility of U.S. military action against al-Qaida in
Pakistan "has started alarm bells ringing and has upset the Pakistani
public."
But it appeared the motivation for a declaration of an emergency would be
the domestic political woes of Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the war on
terrorism who took power in a 1999 coup.
His popularity has dwindled and his standing has been badly shaken by a
failed bid to oust the country's chief justice - an independent-minded judge
likely to rule on expected legal challenges to the Musharraf's bid to seek a
new five-year presidential term this fall.
The Pakistani government's comments on a possible emergency declaration came
hours after Musharraf abruptly announced he was canceling a planned trip to
Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday to attend a U.S.-backed tribal peace council
aimed at curtailing cross-border militancy by the Taliban and al-Qaida.
The decision to cancel the trip appeared linked to the government's
deliberations over declaring a state of emergency.
During a state of emergency, the government can restrict the freedom to
move, rally, engage in political activities or form groups and impose other
limits such as restricting the parliament's right to make laws or even
dissolving parliament.
"These are only unconfirmed reports although the possibility of imposition
of emergency cannot be ruled out and has recently been talked about and
discussed, keeping in mind some external and internal threats and the law
and order situation," Azim told The Associated Press.
"I cannot say that it will be tonight, tomorrow or later. We hope that it
does not happen. But we are going through difficult circumstances so the
possibility of an emergency cannot be ruled out," he added.
Pakistani television networks reported that a declaration of an emergency
was imminent, but other senior government officials said no final decision
had been made.
Azim referred to recent Pakistani military action against militants in
northwestern border areas that he said had resulted in the deaths of many
soldiers.
Meanwhile, Musharraf on Wednesday pulled out of a "peace jirga" in Kabul
that is to bring more than 600 Pakistani and Afghan tribal leaders together
with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Pakistan's Foreign Office said Musharraf had phoned Karzai Wednesday to say
he couldn't attend because of "engagements" in Islamabad, and that Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz would take his place. Afghan officials said the jirga
would proceed as planned without Musharraf.
In Washington, the State Department said the U.S. understands Musharraf's
decision to pull out of the planned meeting in Afghanistan.
"President Musharraf certainly wouldn't stay back in Islamabad if he didn't
believe he had good and compelling reasons to stay back," McCormack said.
"Certainly we would understand that."
Musharraf is under growing American pressure to crack down on militants at
the Afghan border because of fears that al-Qaida is regrouping there.
The Bush administration has also not ruled out unilateral military action
inside Pakistan, but like Obama, has stressed the need to work with
Musharraf.
One of his worries back home for Musharraf is a Supreme Court hearing set
for Thursday of a petition in which exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif - ousted in 1999 in the coup that brought Musharraf to power - and
his brother are seeking to be allowed to return to Pakistan contest
parliamentary elections due by early 2008.
Speaking from London to Pakistan's Geo TV, Shahbaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz
Sharif, said an emergency would be aimed at stopping two "pillars of the
country, two citizens of the country" from coming back.
"This will be another blunder by Musharraf. There is no justification, no
basis for emergency," he said.
Another exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto - widely reported to
have met with Musharraf recently in the United Arab Emirates to discuss a
power-sharing deal - said that imposition of emergency would be a "drastic"
step that the government should not take.
"This is a very big step. This kind of drastic step will not be taken ...
this will be a negative step for the restoration of democracy," she told
Pakistan's Geo TV from New York. "This will be a retrogressive step and the
country will go back."
An aide to the president, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity
of the issue, said Musharraf was due to meet with Cabinet ministers, the
attorney-general and leaders from the ruling party on Thursday to discuss
whether an emergency should be declared.
He did not expect a declaration of an emergency in the early hours of
Thursday.
A senior government official, who requested anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the issue, said Musharraf had held several meetings Wednesday
with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, legal experts and top figures of the
ruling party and the leaking of possible emergency plans indicated that it
was a serious option.
Under Pakistan's constitution, the head of state - the president - may
declare a state of emergency if it is deemed that the country's security is
"threatened by war or external aggression, or by internal disturbance
beyond" the government's authority to control.
If a state of emergency is to be extended beyond two months, it must be
approved by a joint sitting of parliament, the constitution says.
Pakistan May Declare State of Emergency
NewsMax.com Wires Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The government of embattled Pakistani President Gen.
Pervez Musharraf said Thursday it may impose a state of emergency due to
"external and internal threats" and deteriorating law and order in the
volatile northwest near the Afghan border.
Tariq Azim, minister of state for information, said some sentiment coming
from the United States, including from Democratic presidential hopeful Barak
Obama, over the possibility of U.S. military action against al-Qaida in
Pakistan "has started alarm bells ringing and has upset the Pakistani
public."
But it appeared the motivation for a declaration of an emergency would be
the domestic political woes of Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the war on
terrorism who took power in a 1999 coup.
His popularity has dwindled and his standing has been badly shaken by a
failed bid to oust the country's chief justice - an independent-minded judge
likely to rule on expected legal challenges to the Musharraf's bid to seek a
new five-year presidential term this fall.
The Pakistani government's comments on a possible emergency declaration came
hours after Musharraf abruptly announced he was canceling a planned trip to
Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday to attend a U.S.-backed tribal peace council
aimed at curtailing cross-border militancy by the Taliban and al-Qaida.
The decision to cancel the trip appeared linked to the government's
deliberations over declaring a state of emergency.
During a state of emergency, the government can restrict the freedom to
move, rally, engage in political activities or form groups and impose other
limits such as restricting the parliament's right to make laws or even
dissolving parliament.
"These are only unconfirmed reports although the possibility of imposition
of emergency cannot be ruled out and has recently been talked about and
discussed, keeping in mind some external and internal threats and the law
and order situation," Azim told The Associated Press.
"I cannot say that it will be tonight, tomorrow or later. We hope that it
does not happen. But we are going through difficult circumstances so the
possibility of an emergency cannot be ruled out," he added.
Pakistani television networks reported that a declaration of an emergency
was imminent, but other senior government officials said no final decision
had been made.
Azim referred to recent Pakistani military action against militants in
northwestern border areas that he said had resulted in the deaths of many
soldiers.
Meanwhile, Musharraf on Wednesday pulled out of a "peace jirga" in Kabul
that is to bring more than 600 Pakistani and Afghan tribal leaders together
with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Pakistan's Foreign Office said Musharraf had phoned Karzai Wednesday to say
he couldn't attend because of "engagements" in Islamabad, and that Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz would take his place. Afghan officials said the jirga
would proceed as planned without Musharraf.
In Washington, the State Department said the U.S. understands Musharraf's
decision to pull out of the planned meeting in Afghanistan.
"President Musharraf certainly wouldn't stay back in Islamabad if he didn't
believe he had good and compelling reasons to stay back," McCormack said.
"Certainly we would understand that."
Musharraf is under growing American pressure to crack down on militants at
the Afghan border because of fears that al-Qaida is regrouping there.
The Bush administration has also not ruled out unilateral military action
inside Pakistan, but like Obama, has stressed the need to work with
Musharraf.
One of his worries back home for Musharraf is a Supreme Court hearing set
for Thursday of a petition in which exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif - ousted in 1999 in the coup that brought Musharraf to power - and
his brother are seeking to be allowed to return to Pakistan contest
parliamentary elections due by early 2008.
Speaking from London to Pakistan's Geo TV, Shahbaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz
Sharif, said an emergency would be aimed at stopping two "pillars of the
country, two citizens of the country" from coming back.
"This will be another blunder by Musharraf. There is no justification, no
basis for emergency," he said.
Another exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto - widely reported to
have met with Musharraf recently in the United Arab Emirates to discuss a
power-sharing deal - said that imposition of emergency would be a "drastic"
step that the government should not take.
"This is a very big step. This kind of drastic step will not be taken ...
this will be a negative step for the restoration of democracy," she told
Pakistan's Geo TV from New York. "This will be a retrogressive step and the
country will go back."
An aide to the president, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity
of the issue, said Musharraf was due to meet with Cabinet ministers, the
attorney-general and leaders from the ruling party on Thursday to discuss
whether an emergency should be declared.
He did not expect a declaration of an emergency in the early hours of
Thursday.
A senior government official, who requested anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the issue, said Musharraf had held several meetings Wednesday
with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, legal experts and top figures of the
ruling party and the leaking of possible emergency plans indicated that it
was a serious option.
Under Pakistan's constitution, the head of state - the president - may
declare a state of emergency if it is deemed that the country's security is
"threatened by war or external aggression, or by internal disturbance
beyond" the government's authority to control.
If a state of emergency is to be extended beyond two months, it must be
approved by a joint sitting of parliament, the constitution says.
