Muharraf-named court rejects challenges

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Judges hand-picked by Gen. Pervez Musharraf took just two hours Monday to quash legal challenges to his disputed re-election as president, paving the way for him to fulfill a promise to quit as army chief, perhaps by the end of the month.

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Islam & America: Through the Eyes of Imran Khan - Pakistan

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Pakistan cricket stunned by Imran's arrest

Karachi (PTI): Pakistan's former and present cricketers have expressed sadness and disappointment over the arrest of former captain Imran Khan, who led the national team to 1992 World Cup victory.

Imran, an iconic figure in Pakistan cricket, was arrested on Tuesday when he turned up at a students' rally at Punjab University campus protesting against the emergency clamped on the nation.

Imran, who now heads the Tehreek-e-Insaaf political opposition party, was reported to have been mistreated during his arrest and faces charges under a anti-terrorism act.

His nearest rival to equalling his iconic status as a cricketer, Javed Miandad said he was disturbed by the photographs of Imran being arrested.

"It is a fact that when Imran entered politics he knew what he was doing but having played with him and seen him up close as captain I did feel sad at the way he was roughed up," Miandad said.

"Having played with Imran the cricketer it is not easy to see him arrested," the former captain and coach said.

Former national selector and Test player Iqbal Qasim said he hoped for the best for Imran.

"We respected him a lot as a player and captain and he had a certain aura about him. His position in Pakistan cricket is undisputed and historic. I was never comfortable when he decided to enter politics but that is a decision he took and is now bravely facing," Qasim said.

All-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who will appear in rebel Indian Cricket League, said he was very upset to see the way Imran was treated by the students wing and police.

Polls under emergency can't be fair: World NGO

BERLIN: Pakistan's upcoming elections will be a biased exercise and country's long-term path to democracy and accountability risks serious derailment if the enforced state of emergency and suspension of country's constitution continue, said Transparency International, calling on government of Pakistan to restore the constitution, judicial independence, freedom of press and the right to assembly.

"Holding elections on schedule is a positive development, but fair and transparent campaigns and elections are not possible without the guarantee of fundamental rights," said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International.

Looking beyond just the coming elections, Transparency International noted that judicial independence has been severely compromised by political interference from the executive. "An incapacitated judiciary is no longer able to check government impunity and hold leaders accountable for their actions," said Pascal Fable, Regional Director for the Asia Pacific.

"With the suspension of the constitution and a muzzled judiciary, the country is more vulnerable to abuse of power because there in no rule of law."

"All candidates and parties, across the political spectrum and including the opposition, must be open about their record and their agenda and need to answer question from the public and the media. This is an essential part of transparent campaigning and is currently impossible under emergency rule," said Labelle.

Dr Amir expresses grief over Geo News closure

KARACHI: Dr Amir Liaquat Hussein said he could not even think of the fresh move by the government.

Talking to Geo News, he appreciated the Geo TV network that it did not submit to the will of the government and did not play in the hands of rulers.

Dr Amir said, �We kept on telling the truth and mirroring the rulers their face; we had no knowledge that the rulers would take it so badly that they will rise to close the telecast of Geo News.�

Dr Amir said that the people, who talked about the tolerance and fortitude, lost their own temper.

Geo TV ordered to shut down

KARACHI: Geo TV network has been ordered to shut down by authorities of the country from where it is being aired.

The concerned authorities told the reason that there is immense pressure from Musharraf government on them to get the telecast of Geo network closed down.

Geo TV being shut down

KARACHI: There are reports that the government of Pakistan is using its influence with a foreign country to get the Geo TV network closed down, as the Geo TV network refused to surrender to the will of the government.

It should be noted that Geo news and its entire sister channels had been closed down across Pakistan after the imposition of emergency.

Earlier, the cable operators in Pakistan were forced to close all channels being operated by Geo Network and the Pakistani viewers were deprived of the great source of information. However, the Geo TV was on air from its Dubai office.

The latest developments are that the government of Pakistan has gone to the limit of seeking the closure of Geo News network across the globe through a country.

After this closure of Geo Network, the worldwide viewers would not be able to watch the great source of information worldwide.

According to Geo TV network, it did not surrender to the will of the government and did not sign any paper of compliance with the government, for which it has been punished that its worldwide telecast is being gagged.

On this occasion, Senior Geo News analyst Kamran Khan, Host of Capital Talk Hamid Mir, Dr Amir Liaquat Hussein, Geo News Senior analyst Nasir Beig Chughtai, Justice (rtd) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, Senior defence analyst (Rtd) Talat Masud and British member of Parliament Mohammed Sarwar expressed their grief over this government step regarding closing down the Geo News network and condemned this fresh government attack on the media.

It should be noted that nearly all the news channels of the country were taken off air, as soon as the emergency was announced in the country. PEMRA hammered out code of conduct for the media to follow and it was said only those channels would be allowed to operate if they fall in line with the government wishes.

Geo TV closed down

KARACHI: Under extreme pressure from Musharraf government, Geo News has been shut down late Friday night. This is the latest move by the government to slap the curbs on media especially Geo TV Network, which has been off air with all its entertainment channels since the imposition of emergency.

Earlier, Geo TV network has been ordered to shut down by authorities of the country from where it is being aired. Now, the telecast of Geo News would not be viewed even through dish antenna.

It was told from the authorities of the country where the Geo News is being aired that the news channel would be off air across the globe.

It should be noted that Geo news and its entire sister channels had been closed down across Pakistan after the imposition of emergency.

Earlier, the cable operators in Pakistan were forced to close all channels being operated by Geo Network and the Pakistani viewers were deprived of the great source of information. However, the Geo TV was on air from its Dubai office.

According to Geo News, it was told to the network by the authorities of the concerned country that viewers across the globe would be able to watch the other channels of Geo Network including Geo Entertainment, Aag TV and Geo Super over Dish antenna.

Geo News analyst Dr Shahid Masud said that it is appreciable that Geo administration did not surrender from its viewpoint.

According to Geo TV network, it did not surrender to the will of the government and did not sign any paper of compliance with the government, for which it has been punished that its worldwide telecast is being gagged.

According to Geo News analysts, while nearly all other entertainment channels were allowed to operate freely; however, most discriminately, its entertainment channels were also made off air.

On this occasion, Senior Geo News analyst Kamran Khan, Host of Capital Talk Hamid Mir, Dr Amir Liaquat Hussein, Geo News Senior analyst Nasir Beig Chughtai, Justice (rtd) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, Senior defence analyst (Rtd) Talat Masud and British member of Parliament Mohammed Sarwar expressed their grief over this government step regarding closing down the Geo News network and condemned this fresh government attack on the media.

It should be noted that nearly all the news channels of the country were taken off air, as soon as the emergency was announced in the country. PEMRA hammered out code of conduct for the media to follow and it was said only those channels would be allowed to operate if they fall in line with the government wishes.

Lahore University students lead demonstrations against Musharraf

Lahore University Of Management Sciences (LUMS)

Musharraf plans for Pakistan election

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday a general election would be held by January 9 but under a state of emergency he imposed eight days ago.

Musharraf, under pressure from rivals and Western allies to put nuclear-armed Pakistan back on a path to democracy, said the National Assembly and provincial assemblies would be dissolved in coming days, upon completion of their terms.

The army chief also told a news conference he would quit the military and be sworn in as a civilian president as soon as the Supreme Court struck down challenges to his October 6 re-election. He said he hoped that would happen as soon as possible.

Fresh violence erupted between police and supporters of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto with four people hurt when police fired to break up protests in Bhutto's home province of Sindh, and many people detained, a party official said.

Bhutto, who has been demanding an end to emergency rule and a speedy poll, said the announcement on the vote was positive.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also welcomed the announcement but called for an end to emergency rule.

Time's up, Mr Musharraf

No longer the potential solution, the general has become a big part of Pakistan's problem

AS MILITARY dictators go, Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf has always seemed rather a decent sort. An affable man who gives the appearance of speaking his soldierly mind, he prompted quiet cheers from many of his countrymen when he usurped power from a corrupt civilian government in 1999. After September 11th 2001, he won the backing of America and its allies, risking popular anger by swiftly enlisting his country in the war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Proclaiming himself an apostle of “enlightened moderation”, he seemed, despite his embarrassing lack of democratic credentials, a relatively safe pair of hands to be in charge of a 165m-strong moderate Islamic nation—one that possesses nuclear weapons and is prey to a frightening extremist fringe.

Over the years, however, General Musharraf has squandered the goodwill he enjoyed at home and abroad. Many at home were angered by his alliance with America in a war they saw as directed at both Islam and their ethnic-Pushtun kin in Afghanistan. His persistent refusal to take off his army uniform and allow unrigged elections alienated liberal opinion.

So most of his support had evaporated even before he staged his second coup. That came on November 3rd, when he dismantled the constitutional facade built to prettify his rule and imposed, in effect, martial law. Hundreds of secular and Islamist politicians, lawyers and human-rights activists were locked up. Private television-news channels were taken off the air. For a decent seeming man, it was an act of political indecency. He may have been surprised by the vehemence of the condemnation he has faced, especially from America. But, like a borrower whose insolvency would bring down a bank, he may calculate that much of his former backers' anger is bluster, covering a fear of their own impotence. Many want him gone; America itself is demanding that he introduce some semblance of democracy. But it is not obvious how to force his hand without endangering the stability of Pakistan itself.

Benazir Bhutto has been under house arrest all day

We've been hearing from people in Pakistan about whether or not they support her, if they think Gen Musharraf is getting unfair treatment ... and we've been keeping track on the spread of the most subtle form of protest.

Scroll down and refresh for updates, reaction and your chance to comment.

10am:

Friday prayers are about to end in Pakistan. Supporters of Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's party have vowed to press ahead with some kind of rally. We're watching to see what they do.

Zaresh Ernest has emailed from Karachi. She's the creator of Pakistan would be LOST without Musharraf, the Facebook group we mentioned the other day. It has more than 1,000 members.

"I live in Pakistan and can assure you that all those who say that things have gotten worse after the emergency are lying," she writes. She says she. admires Gen Musharraf's "bold" stand against terrorism and was relieved when he declared the state of emergency. "Pakistan's situation was getting embarrassing. On news channels, we looked like animals from the zoo out of their cages for the first time."

10.30am:

Police in Rawalpindi have clashed with Ms Bhutto's supporters - around 200 of them, who are doing as she said and protesting "at all costs". Dozens are reported to have been arrested.

In Islamabad, barbed wire has been wound around her house and AP is reporting that around 5,000 PPP supporters have been arrested.

Hasan Mubarak, the "captain" of Metroblogging Lahore isn't vexed. He's told me "the majority of Pakistanis" see today's events as "another move by BB (Ms Bhutto) to exploit the current situation to her own benefit".

He doesn't like her, and says she managed a full face of make-up "just after more than 130 got killed at her welcome rally in Karachi".

(Here's an article by Jemima Khan about Bhutto-style democracy and Hermes scarves. Khan's been her ex-husband Imran's voice in the west while he has been under house arrest. When was the last time an It girl, albeit an Urdu-speaking It girl, was a carrier-pigeon for democracy outside the pages of Ian Fleming?)

Back to Captain Hasan. He doesn't like BB calling Pakistanis onto the streets of Rawalpindi while she travels in a "level-3 bullet proof vehicle".

Last night, when she hadn't been arrested - in contrast to other opposition leaders - he wondered whether that was because, in addition to her one-time coalition talks with the general, she was "engaged with Musharraf in getting her own corruption files deleted".

Hasan, do you still think she's getting special treatment now she's pinned in with barbed wire?

11.30am:

A suicide bomber has killed two policemen outside the home of the political affairs minister, Amir Muqam, in Peshawar. The minister told state TV his brother had also been injured.

Ms Bhutto has made two attempts to escape her Islamabad villa, each time in her white Landcruiser and each time thwarted by police vans. The police have served a 30-day detention on her for trying to cross their cordon.

Declan has sent this audio report from outside her house.

The Teeth Maestro blogger has had a text from a friend at the Rawalpindi rally - it does seem to be happening in some shape. PPP supporters there are still able to send texts (although mobile phone reception has been jammed), and police are firing rubber bullets at demonstrators.

Midday:

Ms Bhutto has put the microphone down and left the barbed wire at the bottom of her lawn, where she had been speaking. She's vowing that the Rawalpindi rally will still go ahead. How?

Zainub Ravi draws our attention to a regional disparity in student zeal. The bookish students of Lahore and Islamabad have done well, and she's put up pictures of their protests. But Zainub asks why Karachi students are still silent. "Does their silence mean they endorse what is happening? Or they just too apathetic to bother?"

My colleague Mark Tran recommends this piece in The Nation.

12.30pm:

Ethan Zuckerman, of Global Voices, explains how some Pakistani bloggers are going underground with a tactic developed by Burmese pro-democracy protesters: pass on information to sympathetic bloggers outside the country.

Ms Bhutto is back in her house. One of the things she screamed at police was: "Do not raise hands on women. You are Muslims. This is un-Islamic". Brutal Qur'an-politik.

An attendee of the lawyer/student demos who contacted us yesterday, is not a fan - like Hasan and the members of Facebook's I Bet I Can Find 1,000,000 People Who Hate Bhutto group.

"She wants the general to take his uniform off, but nothing is said about restoring the independent judges illegally removed by the dictator."

What would the relationship between government and judiciary in a Bhutto-led Pakistan look like?

13.30:

Peaceful protests have been held after jumma prayers on university campus. You can see pictures here.

15.30:

We expect the barbed wire around Ms Bhutto's house to be cut tomorrow, but PPP supporters have still taken to the streets across Pakistan, angry that the Rawalpindi rally was stopped.

Mustafa Islamabadi, a law student in Islamabad who protested on Wednesday, tells me that, like the other lawyer who posted a comment yesterday, he is not overwhelmed by Ms Bhutto. "If I was forced to vote, I'd vote for the PPP - but preferably minus Bhutto. The PPP is the closest thing we have to a secular party". He thinks Ms Bhutto is in league with Gen Musharraf.

He also draws our attention to The News, which is running two strong stories. The first is about Chinese engineers in the North Western Frontier province being evacuated to Islamabad, while the second is about 20 retired generals being about to join the protests.

Finally, Sid has spotted this most subtle of rebellions. Look at the picture. "A silent group armed with spray paints and stencils ... the red signs symbolises the sentiments of all those who want the emergency as well as the dictator to be ejected, and the black loop signifies the rut this country is stuck in. Currently, the graffiti has only been spotted in some areas - Shah Ghazi mazaar, Khadda market, Gizri market and around Khayaban-i-Ittehad".

Musharraf pledges Pakistan poll by mid-Feb

President Pervez Musharraf has announced that elections will be held in Pakistan before February 15.

He has also reaffirmed his pledge to step down as head of the army, according to state media reports.

General elections are planned for January but Islamabad has sent mixed messages about when they would be held since Saturday, when Gen Musharraf suspended the constitution, muted the media and launched a bloody crackdown on thousands of protestors.

Gen Musharraf now says he is "committed to holding general elections and the transition to full democratic civilian rule in the country".

Attempt to stop Dr. Shahid Masud leaving for Dubai

ISLAMABAD: An attempt was made here at the airport to stop the host of the Geo News program ‘Meray Mutabiq’, Dr. Shahid Masud leaving for Dubai, but later on resistance, he was allowed to go.

The report said that the airport administration here this afternoon tried snatching Dr. Shahid Masud’s passport, when he had arrived at the airport for departure to Dubai, while he resisting vehemently foiled their attempt to take away his passport. Later on, the airport administration allowed Dr, Shahid Masud to proceed to Dubai.

Imran Khan gives Pakistan police the slip

Former Pakistan captain turned politician Imran Khan, who gave authorities the slip over the weekend as a state of emergency was imposed through the country, has vowed to oppose President Pervez Musharraf from hiding.

Imran, leader of the Tehreek-e-Insaaf (The Justice Party) opposed to Musharraf, escaped from his family home while it was being searched by police as part of a government crackdown on the legal fraternity and opposition politicians.

In a message passed to Reuters by his ex-wife Jemima, Imran said: "The police have ransacked my house and ill treated my family members." He went on to accuse the USA of being complicit in Musharraf's actions.

"Our aim is to continue the struggle and mobilise the youth of the country from underground."

Jemima told the Daily Mail: "The police ransacked his house and roughed up his family. He managed to escape just before they returned with an arrest warrant to cart him off to Kot Lakpat jail. He is now in hiding along with most of his party and thousands of others who fear reprisals for criticising the government."

Imran turned to politics soon after retiring from international cricket in 1992. Though his party has limited grassroots support and has enjoyed scant electoral success, Imran has been among the most vociferous critics of the Musharraf regime.

Imran Khan flees house arrest in Pakistan

LONDON: Imran Khan released a statement on Tuesday through his ex-wife, saying he has fled house arrest and gone into hiding.

British socialite Jemima Khan, Imran Khan's ex-wife, released a statement in which he said he was first placed under house arrest at his home in Lahore on Saturday. He said police ransacked his house and roughed up his family. He escaped before they returned to take him to jail.

He said he was in hiding for fear of reprisals from President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's government.

"They are using sheer force against lawyers, human rights organizations, political activists and all genuine opposition leaders are in jail,'' Khan wrote in the e-mail statement.

"The police have ransacked my house and ill treated my family members.''

Imran Khan went on to accuse former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of secretly working with Musharraf because she is also threatened by the judiciary. “Her party has not been touched by the authorities,'' Khan said.

Khan warned that Musharraf's move will only ignite more extremism. "When you suppress democratic forces, then the only way to resist is through militancy,'' he said.

Pakistan Police Arrest Lawyers Protesting Emergency

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistani police charged with clubs and arrested more than 150 lawyers challenging President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule as the U.S. said it was reviewing military aid to the country in response to the decree.

Police beat lawyers and used tear gas to disperse protesters in cities across Pakistan. Stocks slumped amid speculation that Musharraf was arrested in a coup today, which the military denied, saying it was a rumor.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in Beijing for talks with the Chinese government, called on Musharraf to restore democratic rule. Musharraf suspended the constitution on Nov. 3 for the second time since he took power in a 1999 military coup, saying judicial interference in government affairs had sparked terrorism and extremism throughout the country.

"The general elections will be held according to the schedule,'' Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, according to the official Associated Press of Pakistan today, without spelling out what the schedule was. "There will be no hurdle in the third phase of the political process,'' he said. Yesterday, Aziz said the emergency would remain "as long as it is required.''

U.S. aid to counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan won't be affected, Gates said at a news conference in Beijing.

The declaration of emergency rule came as the Supreme Court was nearing a decision on the legality of Musharraf's Oct. 6 re- election as president while also serving as army chief. Sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry called the decree "unlawful'' and urged citizens to "struggle'' for democracy.

Aziz's Comments

Aziz's comments today follow pressure from the U.S. to restore democracy. Aziz yesterday said parliament could be extended for a year beyond the scheduled Nov. 15 end of its term. Under the Pakistani constitution, national elections are mandatory within 60 days of the end of the parliament's term.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in the West bank city of Ramallah today that Musharraf should restore Pakistan's democratic institutions "quickly and urgently.'' She has said the Bush administration will review its financial aid of more than $1 billion a year to Pakistan.

"A state of emergency should only be used to deal with a dire security threat to the nation, not to undermine the integrity and independence of the judiciary,'' the United Nations High Commissioner Louise Arbour said today in an e-mailed statement.

U.K. Pressure

"The international community is very much in the same place on this,'' U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said at a news conference in London today. He emphasized the need to see through prior commitments; to hold elections, the resignation of Musharraf as head of the army, the release of political prisoners and the lifting of media restrictions.

The government yesterday ordered the arrest of about 500 opposition supporters and activists and said the elections due by Jan. 15 may be delayed for a year. The number of detainees may have risen to 1,500, Agence France-Presse reported, citing police officials it didn't identify.

Police and paramilitary troops surrounded the High Court buildings and the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, sealing them off. Lawyers were not allowed to enter the courts, Shaukat Rauf, a lawyer in Rawalpindi said by phone today.

About 150 lawyers were arrested in the biggest city of Karachi and the garrison town of Rawalpindi as they demonstrated outside their respective High Court buildings, lawyers said. Authorities arrested ``dozens'' in the city of Lahore, lawyer Zafar Mughal said in a telephone interview.

Medical Help

"Several judges are under house arrest and some of them need medical help,'' Faqir Mohammed, an official of the Supreme Court said in an interview from his Islamabad office. "I have tried to go and meet the former chief justice but the authorities refused to let me go.''

The president appointed Abdul Hameed Dogar, a Supreme Court judge, to replace Chaudhry, seven months after he first tried to remove the top judge. Chaudhry had been reinstated by his peers in July. Several other judges swore an oath under the emergency proclamation and courts were barred from questioning the order or making any judgment against the president and his government.

"I am virtually arrested,'' Chaudhry said today in a statement read over the phone his lawyer Ali. "The doors of my house are locked. An army major came this morning and locked the doors and took away the keys.''

Court Surrounded

Pakistan's deputy information minister Tariq Azeem refused to comment on arrests or detention of judges.

One of Musharraf's political opponents, the former cricketer Imran Khan, escaped from detention.

"Imran Khan escaped house arrest from his Lahore home today,'' the politician's spokesman Ahmed Awais said in a phone interview from Lahore. "He is safe and has gone underground. He is in hiding for now.''

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's party said the opposition leader plans to address a rally in Rawalpindi on Nov. 9, ignoring a ban on public gatherings issued by Musharraf.

Bhutto will travel to Islamabad tomorrow, Nabeel Gabol, a parliamentarian from her Pakistan Peoples Party told reporters in Karachi. "If they want to arrest us then they can,'' Gabol said. "We are not afraid.''

Bomb attacks on Bhutto's convoy in Karachi killed at least 136 and injured 500 others on Oct. 19, hours after she returned to Pakistan, ending eight years in self-imposed exile to lead her party in national elections.

Pakistan's stocks fell the most in more than 16 months on concern emergency rule will delay national elections and derail record economic growth. The benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index fell 635.44 points or 4.6 percent to 13,279.60 at the 2:15 p.m. local time close.

Media Gag

Citizens and journalists staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club today, where they wore black armbands and shouted slogans against the government. Heavy contingents of police beat protesters.

"We are demanding the basic rights of common citizens,'' said Naeem Sadiq, a human rights activist who organized the rally. "The higher judiciary has rejected the proclamation of emergency and we will fight it.''

Musharraf issued a law that bans the publication of any material "that defames, brings into ridicule or disrepute the head of state or members of the armed forces or executive, legislative organs.'' Offenders can be jailed for three years.

The government is negotiating with broadcasters to resume transmission, after privately run television news channels went off air across the country on Nov. 3, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters yesterday in Islamabad.

US Urges Pakistan's Musharraf to Remove Army Uniform

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf should resign as army chief and restore civilian rule.

Ms. Rice at a news conference in the West Bank Monday urged President Musharraf to carry out his promise to shed his army uniform. She also said the United States believes the best path for Pakistan is a return to constitutional rule, followed by elections.

Earlier Monday, the U.S. postponed a defense cooperation meeting with Pakistan planned for this week.

Meanwhile, the Dutch government announced a freeze on aid to Pakistan to show its disapproval of emergency rule.

The British government said it is reviewing its development and aid assistance to Pakistan.

And the United Nations' top human rights official, Louise Arbour, expressed concern about the arrest of hundreds of Pakistani lawyers, judges and activists since the imposition on emergency rule.

On Sunday, Secretary Rice said the United States will review its financial aid to Pakistan. The U.S. has given Pakistan more than $10 billion since 2001. Most of that aid has gone to the Pakistani military.

Pakistan crackdown widens

Pakistan crackdown widens as Musharraf insists emergency rule needed to fight terrorism

Cairo - Since suspending his country's Constitution over the weekend, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has moved quickly to arrest opposition activists and control the press, nudging the country closer to a full-fledged dictatorship.

The Associated Press reports that 1,500 activists have been arrested since the president gave himself sweeping powers on Saturday, in a move that analysts said appeared designed to preempt a Supreme Court ruling that could have prevented him from being reelected president.

Musharraf's Emergency Decree Puts Bush, U.S. in `Tight Spot'

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's vow to review aid to Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule puts the U.S. in the position of threatening an ally President George W. Bush relies on to help combat al-Qaeda and a resurgent Taliban.

Bush ``is in a tight spot now about how to respond,'' said Craig Cohen, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. ``We'll talk tough, but it will take a lot for the U.S. administration to hang Musharraf out to dry or cut military aid.''

Uniform or Pants...

I think Madam Condoleezza Rice could have just said, "Hey Mushi, take off your pants", because that is all what Mr. Mushi needs to do right now. Just take his pants off and bend over !!!

Rice asks Musharraf to 'take off uniform'...

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday said Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf should "take off his uniform", as Washington suspended annual defence talks with Islamabad because of the political situation there after the imposition of Emergency.

A day after she said the U.S would "review" its financial aid to Pakistan, Rice mounted pressure on Musharraf making a direct call that the General quit as Army Chief and restore civilian rule.

At a news conference in Ramallah, Rice urged Musharraf to follow through on past promises to "take off his uniform."

"I want to be very clear. We believe that the best path for Pakistan is to quickly return to a constitutional path and then to hold elections," she said.

"The more quickly and the more urgently that the Pakistan leadership and President Musharraf act on their stated desire to get back to a constitutional path, it will be for the better of everyone," she said.

West urges Pakistan to lift martial law, return to democracy

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was under fire at home and abroad Sunday after declaring an indefinite state of emergency that the West is calling a blow to democracy.

Pakistani Information Minister Tariq Azim Khan said the move -- which suspends the constitution and expands Musharraf's powers -- was necessary because "things had gone totally haywire."

Musharraf made the declaration Saturday in reaction to what he said was judicial activism by the state's high court. Musharraf has been tussling with the Supreme Court since at least March, when he removed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, citing judicial misconduct.

The Supreme Court -- which reinstated Chaudhry in July in what many called a political blow to Musharraf -- was amid hearing arguments from opposition leaders who said that Musharraf's victory in the October elections should be overturned because Musharraf was not eligible to serve a third term while heading the country's military.

Khan said parliamentary elections slated for January have been postponed indefinitely, but Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said later no such decision had been made. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that Musharraf did not consult Washington before declaring the state of emergency, a move she called "highly regrettable." The U.S. told the Pakistani leadership before Saturday that it does not support "extra-constitutional means," she said.

"It is in the best interest of Pakistan and in the best interest of the Pakistani people for there to be a prompt return to a constitutional course, for there to be an affirmation that elections will be held for a new parliament, and for all parties to act with restraint in what is obviously a very difficult situation," she said.

Later in the day, Rice said the U.S. would review its financial aid package to Pakistan, a key ally in the war on terror. She conceded the matter would be complicated because much of the aid goes to counterterrorism.

Javier Solana, foreign policy chief for the 27-nation European Union, also implored Musharraf to keep the January elections on track. Solana told The Associated Press he realizes Pakistan is facing difficulties in its political and security situations, but "any deviation from the general democratic process cannot be a solution."

Solana, in a statement, urged Musharraf "to abide by the rule of law, notably to respect the boundaries of the constitution" and asked that political parties show "restraint to facilitate a quick return to normalcy."

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also expressed concerns about the state of emergency, saying Pakistan's future "rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism."

As part of the state of emergency, the Pakistani government has a list of about 1,500 opposition figures, mostly activists and lawyers to be rounded up, according to police sources and witnesses. Chaudhry is one of seven Supreme Court judges placed under house arrest after the court declared Musharraf's state of emergency illegal under the constitution.

Shortly after the court ruling, troops went to Chaudhry's office and told him he was fired, the judge's office said. Massive protests ensued after Chaudhry was removed from the bench earlier this year. See a timeline of events leading up to the state of emergency »

The head of Pakistan's human rights commission, Asma Jahangir, said she, too, was under house arrest and that Musharraf "has lost his marbles."

Khan, the information minister, said the house arrests are "a very temporary measure" and were targeting "people who have been causing law and order situations."

Pakistanis reacted to the country's turmoil Sunday with a mixture of anger and apathy, according to AP.

Said factory worker Faisal Sayed, "Pakistan is bad because of one person: Musharraf. He has ruined our country."

But day laborer Togul Khan, 38, had a more cynical outlook as he waited for work on an Islamabad street corner, AP reported.

"What's the point of talking about this?" he asked. "The politicians have lifted Pakistan into the sky and spun it round before bringing it crashing down to earth -- but nothing will change for us."

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday imposed a state of emergency in the country and promulgated a Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) holding the Constitution in abeyance.

“Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf has imposed a state of emergency in the country and issued a Provisional Constitutional Order,” an official statement said, without using the word “president” for Gen Musharraf.

Under the PCO, the Constitution will remain in abeyance. However, General Musharraf did not suspend the Senate, National Assembly or the Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan assemblies. The local governments will also continue to work.

The PCO empowers the president to amend the Constitution. With the promulgation of the PCO, fundamental rights under Articles 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 25 of the Constitution will remain suspended while all provisions of the Constitution under Articles 2, 2A, 31, 203A to 203J, 227 to 231 and 260(3a and b) will remain in force.

The proclamation of emergency order cited “increasing interference by some members of judiciary” and increasing terrorist attacks as justifications. The imposition of emergency comes as the Supreme Court was hearing a petition challenging Gen Musharraf’s eligibility to contest presidential elections. The government was reportedly expecting an adverse decision in the case, with intelligence reports indicating that most judges on the 11-member bench were likely to rule against the president. The prime minister and his cabinet, and the provincial governors and chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan and their cabinets will remain in place.

The decision to impose an emergency and promulgate the PCO was taken at a high-level meeting, which started at noon and continued till 5pm. Gen Musharraf chaired the meeting and his top commanders attended.

All private local and foreign TV news channels were taken off air at 5:05pm and Pakistan Television (PTV) made the first announcement about emergency rule at 6:05pm. Army troops, Rangers and police were deployed at the PTV headquarters, Radio Pakistan, parliament building, Constitution Avenue, airport and other government buildings.

Its Martial Law

* Emergency imposed, Constitution held in abeyance
* ‘Judicial interference’, law and order cited as reasons
* PM, CMs and cabinets to continue
* Senate, NA, PAs and local governments not suspended
* COAS empowered to amend Constitution
* Fundamental rights under articles 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25 suspended
* Troops deployed at government installations
* Private TV news channels blacked out

"Please do not expect or demand your level of democracy, which you learned over a number of centuries. Please also do not demand or expect your number of civil rights, human rights or civil liberties … Please give us time. For me and every Pakistani, Pakistan comes first," Musharraf said, comparing his actions with those of former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln to preserve the union.

Exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also slammed the move. He'd attempted to return to Pakistan in September, but was deported to Saudi Arabia by the general. "We have not witnessed such a grave situation in the 60 years of Pakistan's history," Sharif told an Indian news channel. He said he wanted to return home, but could not do so because of compulsions in the country. Some Pakistani citizens indicated the move could help the nation, though it was a blow for civil rights. "It's very quiet on the streets of Karachi," said Mahim Rehman, head of research at DLA Capital in the city. "Over the last week, we had an indication this could happen because of the worsening law and order situation and speculation that the Supreme Court would rule against Musharraf's presidency. If Musharraf seems to be in control again, that will be seen a positive sign."

"This is a situation worse than an emergency. The people of Pakistan will not accept this," Bhutto said, accusing Musharraf of taking the step to pre-empt a likely court ruling against his presidency.

Musharraf said a rise in extremism was hurting foreign investment, with speculators waiting on the sidelines to see what direction the country would take. He accused the media of spreading "negativism" in justifying the closure of some private television channels. Senior journalists in Pakistan expressed concerns the government would clamp down on them in the coming days.

In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "We recognize the threat to peace and security faced by the country, but its future rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism. I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted [Saturday], which will take Pakistan further from these goals."

Television reports quoted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as saying: "It's highly regrettable that Pakistan's president has declared a state of martial law. The U.S. does not support extra constitutional measures."