Pakistan in a State of Emergency

[unico]

Text of Pakistan emergency declaration

Following is the text of the "Proclamation of emergency", declared by Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf on 3 November.

Whereas there is visible ascendancy in the activities of extremists and incidents of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, IED [improvised explosive device] explosions, rocket firing and bomb explosions and the banding together of some militant groups have taken such activities to an unprecedented level of violent intensity posing a grave threat to the life and property of the citizens of Pakistan;

Whereas there has also been a spate of attacks on state infrastructure and on law enforcement agencies;

Whereas some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism thereby weakening the government and the nation's resolve diluting the efficacy of its actions to control this menace;

Whereas there has been increasing interference by some members of the judiciary in government policy, adversely affecting economic growth, in particular;

Whereas constant interference in executive functions, including but not limited to the control of terrorist activity, economic policy, price controls, downsizing of corporations and urban planning, has weakened the writ of the government; the police force has been completely demoralised and is fast losing its efficacy to fight terrorism and intelligence agencies have been thwarted in their activities and prevented from pursuing terrorists;

Whereas some hard core militants, extremists, terrorists and suicide bombers, who were arrested and being investigated were ordered to be released. The persons so released have subsequently been involved in heinous terrorist activities, resulting in loss of human life and property. Militants across the country have, thus, been encouraged while law enforcement agencies subdued;

Whereas some judges by overstepping the limits of judicial authority have taken over the executive and legislative functions;

Whereas the government is committed to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law and holds the superior judiciary in high esteem, it is nonetheless of paramount importance that the honourable judges confine the scope of their activity to the judicial function and not assume charge of administration;

Whereas an important constitutional institution, the Supreme Judicial Council, has been made entirely irrelevant and non est by a recent order and judges have, thus, made themselves immune from inquiry into their conduct and put themselves beyond accountability;

Whereas the humiliating treatment meted out to government officials by some members of the judiciary on a routine basis during court proceedings has demoralised the civil bureaucracy and senior government functionaries, to avoid being harassed, prefer inaction;

Whereas the law and order situation in the country as well as the economy have been adversely affected and trichotomy of powers eroded;

Whereas a situation has thus arisen where the government of the country cannot be carried on in accordance with the constitution and as the constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures;

And whereas the situation has been reviewed in meetings with the prime minister, governors of all four provinces and with the chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, chiefs of the armed forces, vice chief of army staff and corps commanders of the Pakistan army;

Now, therefore, in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of the said meetings, I General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of Army Staff, proclaim emergency throughout Pakistan.

I hereby order and proclaim that the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall remain in abeyance.

This proclamation shall come into force at once.

Source: BBC

Pakistan has been a key ally in the U.S. led War on Terror. What implications will this State of Emergency have on this war? Musharraf has been considering doing this for a few months now, while the U.S. discouraged it. Now it has been done. I'm curious to see what happens next. I'm also concerned for the people in Pakistan as the police are arresting people by the hundreds.

[DaveC]

So much for democracy

[JCOSTER]

This is crazy, a state of emergency doesn't mean arrest everyone or shut down all access to media. This is unreal.

[yolland]

^ It does when your none-too-subtle motive for declaring one is to prevent the judiciary from thwarting your attempts to bypass the constitution in order to maintain executive power (and the media from amplifying their criticisms).

As far as impact on GWOT--it's highly doubtful whether these measures will improve Musharraf's odds against the Pakistani Taliban in the North-West Frontier Province (whom the arrested lawyers and journalists were assuredly not in cahoots with). On the contrary, it seems likely that they'll divert military manpower to the (even more demoralizing) tasks of quashing demonstrations in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi--again, hardly GWOT hotspots--and manhandling journalists, while further alienating the general public and further incensing the radicals (never a good combination).

There is some hope that Bhutto, now basically the only opposition leader still enjoying freedom of movement, will rally the opposition around her and strongly publically protest this action, possibly opening up a wedge between Musharraf and the military rank-and-file. She has plenty of reasons not to do so though, ranging from her own political prospects being tied to deals cut with Musharraf, to plain old personal safety.

I don't see how he can contain the fallout this time. I really don't.

[DaveC]

I really think it's time for a coup d'etat in Pakistan, although I think the only real element at this point that can stand up to Musharraf (who, from what I understand, is solidly supported by the military) is unfortunately a union/coalition of the Pashtun extremist factions and the FATA and NWFP. I don't think Bhutto's got the support she needs to get the job done, and it's clear that Musharraf is not going to tolerate any peaceful challenges to his leadership.

[verte76]

Yeah, it's time for a coup.

[yolland]

The only "coup" I could possibly see happening is the corps commanders and/or intelligence directors quietly nudging Musharraf out of uniform and replacing him with, in all likelihood, General Kiani, whom Musharraf himself had handpicked as his successor anyway (though how that might affect politics proper, as opposed to the military, is unclear). There's certainly some possibility that the lower ranks of both the army and the intelligence services could themselves become more radicalized with time--army morale issues are already a major problem in the NWFP, both because of the perception that this is 'America's war' and because of the large numbers of Pashtun in the army; while the intelligence community has its own history of sympathies for the Taliban, dating to their (US-backed and funded) support for and collaboration with the mujahideen, from whom the Taliban emerged. The Taliban/AQ-linked elements overthrowing the government on their own is out of the question, and in any case would hardly be preferable to the current situation.

And unfortunately sound precedents for peaceful transition to appeal to are lacking, since in Pakistan (and especially for civilian governments) being forced prematurely from office has always been the rule rather than the exception. The proper role of the army and the state apparatus vis-a-vis each other has always been murky and even now, many if not most Pakistanis still trust the army more than they trust any political party.

[Axver]

Originally posted by verte76
Yeah, it's time for a coup.

Nah, it's time for a game of cricket. Musharraf and the Military First XI versus the Opposition First XI, which rather conveniently has Imran Khan. Winner takes power. Peaceful and entertaining.

No, I don't have anything serious to add.

[Zoomerang96]

this is far bigger news that most people realize.

it'll be interesting to see how this plays out, to say the least.

[Earnie Shavers]

"Top 5 Situations That Could Lead Us All Into Unimaginable Shit Real Quick".

All depends on what happens at the very next step.

[elevated_u2_fan]

Originally posted by Zoomerang96
this is far bigger news that most people realize.

Somebody should tell CNN, apparently Dog The Bounty Hunter being a racist is bigger news

[DaveC]

Originally posted by elevated_u2_fan


Somebody should tell CNN, apparently Dog The Bounty Hunter being a racist is bigger news

Don't forget about pregnant J-Lo!

Wonder if this is going to be an election or an "election"?

Musharraf sets election deadline

* Story Highlights
* Elections to be held by February 15, Pakistan's president says
* Musharraf has been under pressure to hold parliamentary elections
* Musharraf declared a state of emergency on Saturday
* Five opposition politicians are facing treason charges in Karachi

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Under intense international pressure to restore democracy in Pakistan, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf announced Thursday that parliamentary elections will be held by Feb. 15 and restated his pledge to step down as the country's military leader.

"I am on record as saying these things so this is not an issue with me," Musharraf said, speaking after his meeting with the National Security Council.

Elections, originally set for mid-January, had been suspended -- along with the country's constitution -- after Musharraf declared a state of emergency on Saturday. His opponents, the target of widespread arrests and detentions, say it amounts to martial law in Pakistan.

The state of emergency will remain in place for at least a month, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, told CNN Thursday.In addition, Pakistan's government Thursday began lifting the media blackout imposed as part of the emergency order, allowing CNN and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) back on the air.

The White House called Musharraf's announcement a positive first step.

"We think it is a good thing that President Musharraf has clarified the election date for the Pakistani people," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said

Musharraf is under tremendous pressure by the United States and other foreign allies to end the state of emergency and set a date for elections.

President Bush said that he delivered that message personally to Musharraf during a Wednesday phone call.

"My message was very plain, very easy to understand, and that is, the United States wants you to have the elections as scheduled and take your uniform off," Bush said.

But Musharraf's opposition said Thursday's announcement is not enough.

"The general opposition in this country want those (Supreme Court) judges to be reinstated," opposition leader Imran Khan told CNN International. "Just lifting the emergency (order) is not good enough for us."

"We intend to resist him (Musharraf) as long as he does not reinstate the chief justice," said Khan, who is in hiding after escaping from house arrest earlier this week.

Musharraf dismissed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and the rest of the Supreme Court shortly after Saturday's emergency declaration, and replaced them with his supporters.

Khan and other opposition leaders accuse Musharraf of imposing the emergency declaration as a "power grab" by avoiding the top court's ruling that would have nullified the parliamentary vote that gave him a third term as president.

The newly installed court is expected to approve the vote, paving the way for Musharraf to take the oath of office.

Before the emergency order, he had been scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 15 and had pledged to step down as military chief after that date.

Opposition leader and former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto expressed concern about Musharraf's announcement.

In enforcing the emergency order, Pakistani forces have arrested thousands of opposition leaders and banned broadcasts from the independent media.

Five opposition politicians -- including the head of the National Party -- were charged with treason Thursday in Karachi, a government official told CNN.

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party said Thursday that more than 800 of its workers and leaders were arrested in overnight raids, in addition to 400 picked up a day earlier.

Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan last month ahead of elections, plans to lead a massive march in Rawalpindi, the base of Pakistan's military. She is urging all opposition parties to put aside their differences and join the rally.

Despite their criticism of Musharraf, Bhutto, Khan, and other Pakistani opposition leaders are scrambling to capitalize on the international outrage over the Pakistani leader's move.

Khan -- who is head of the Movement for Justice party which campaigns for an independent judiciary -- criticized Bhutto for not calling on Musharraf to reinstate the Supreme Court justices.

"That's the most significant thing," he told CNNI. "Until she asks for the judges to be reinstated at all costs, we would not consider her the real opposition."

He said her role is "dubious" because she had been involved in power-sharing talks with Musharraf, which she said have since been suspended since the emergency declaration.

That, Khan said, may be why "she's been allowed to roam around while all of us are hiding, or in jail."

CNN's Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad contributed to this report.

[yolland]

By JANE PERLEZ and DAVID ROHDE
New York Times, November 9

ISLAMABAD — The opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was placed under house arrest this morning, her political party said. Streets were filled with police officers carrying batons and shields, and trucks blocked roads, trying to prevent access to a protest rally that Ms. Bhutto had helped organize in Rawalpindi, the garrison city adjacent to the capital of Islamabad.
...................................................................................
Across Punjab Province on Thursday an estimated 500 workers of Ms. Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party were arrested in the government’s latest sweep of its opponents. By Friday morning, party officials said, the number detained in the past three days had climbed to 5000. The arrests of the Pakistan Peoples Party members in Punjab appeared to be aimed at district leaders involved in planning the protest, party officials said.

One organizer, Ijaz Qayyum Butt, had traveled from the western city of Lahore for the rally. Mr. Butt said that soon after he left home on Wednesday night, his house was raided by the police. “My house staff was beaten up, and the police shouted, ‘Where is he, where is he?’”

The rally would be the first show of resistance to the emergency rule by an opposition political party. But the government’s extraordinary security measures may prevent any large gathering and make it difficult to assess the true depth of Ms. Bhutto’s following.
......................................................................................
Until now, the brunt of the resistance has been led almost single-handedly by lawyers in urban areas who have been rounded up and held in jails by the hundreds.

[yolland]

Deja vu?

U.S. Hopes to Arm Pakistani Tribes Against Al Qaeda

By ERIC SCHMITT, MARK MAZZETTI and CARLOTTA GALL
New York Times, November 19

WASHINGTON — A new and classified American military proposal outlines an intensified effort to enlist tribal leaders in the frontier areas of Pakistan in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as part of a broader effort to bolster Pakistani forces against an expanding militancy, American military officials said.

If adopted, the proposal would join elements of a shift in strategy that would also be likely to expand the presence of American military trainers in Pakistan, directly finance a separate tribal paramilitary force that until now has proved largely ineffective and pay militias that agreed to fight Al Qaeda and foreign extremists, officials said. The United States now has only about 50 troops in Pakistan, a Pentagon spokesman said, a force that could grow by dozens under the new approach.

The proposal is modeled in part on a similar effort by American forces in Anbar Province in Iraq that has been hailed as a great success in fighting foreign insurgents there. But it raises the question of whether such partnerships can be forged without a significant American military presence in Pakistan. And it is unclear whether enough support can be found among the tribes. Altogether, the broader strategic move toward more local support is being accelerated because of concern about instability in Pakistan and the weakness of the Pakistani government, as well as fears that extremists with havens in the tribal areas could escalate their attacks on allied troops in Afghanistan. Just in recent weeks, Islamic militants sympathetic to Al Qaeda and the Taliban have already extended their reach beyond the frontier areas into more settled areas, most notably the mountainous region of Swat.
.................................................................
The tribal proposal, a strategy paper prepared by staff members of the United States Special Operations Command, has been circulated to counterterrorism experts but has not yet been formally approved by the command’s headquarters in Tampa, Fla. Some other elements of the campaign have been approved in principle by the Americans and Pakistanis and await financing, like $350 million over several years to help train and equip the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force that has about 85,000 members and is recruited from border tribes. Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, the Bush administration has used billions of dollars of aid and heavy political pressure to encourage Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president, to carry out more aggressive military operations against militants in the tribal areas. But the sporadic military campaigns Pakistan has conducted there have had little success, resulting instead in heavy losses among Pakistani Army units and anger among local residents who have for decades been mostly independent from Islamabad’s control.

American officials acknowledge those failures, but say that the renewed emphasis on recruiting allies among the tribal militias and investing more heavily in the Frontier Corps reflect the depth of American concern about the need to address Islamic extremism in Pakistan. The new counterinsurgency campaign is also a vivid example of the American military’s asserting a bigger role in a part of Pakistan that the Central Intelligence Agency has overseen almost exclusively since Sept. 11. Small numbers of United States military personnel have served as advisers to the Pakistani Army in the tribal areas, giving planning advice and helping to integrate American intelligence, said one senior American officer with long service in the region. Historically, American Special Forces have gone into foreign countries to work with local militaries to improve the security of those countries in ways that help American interests. Under this new approach, the number of advisers would increase, officials said.

American officials said these security improvements complemented a package of assistance from the Agency for International Development and the State Department for the seven districts of the tribal areas that amounted to $750 million over five years, and would involve work in education, health and other sectors. The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is also assisting the Frontier Corps with financing for counternarcotics work. Some details of the security improvements have been reported by The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. But the classified proposal to enlist tribal leaders is new. “The D.O.D. is about to start funding the Frontier Corps,” one military official said, referring to the Department of Defense. “We have only got a portion of that requested but it is enough to start.”

Until now, the Frontier Corps has not received American military financing because the corps technically falls under the Pakistani Interior Ministry, a nonmilitary agency that the Pentagon ordinarily does not deal with. But American officials say the Frontier Corps is in the long term the most suitable force to combat an insurgency. The force, which since 2001 has increasingly been under the day-to-day command of Pakistani Army units, is now being expanded and trained by American advisers, diplomats said.

The training of the Frontier Corps remains a concern for some. NATO and American soldiers in Afghanistan have often blamed the Frontier Corps for aiding and abetting Taliban insurgents mounting cross-border attacks. “It’s going to take years to turn them into a professional force,” said one Western military official. “Is it worth it now?” At the same time, military officials fear the assistance to develop a counterinsurgency force is too little, too late. “The advantage is already in the enemy hands,” one Western military official said. Local Taliban and foreign fighters in Waziristan have managed to regroup since negotiating peace deals with the government in 2005 and 2006, and last year they were able to fight all through the winter, he said. Militants have now emerged in force in the Swat area, a scenic tourist region that is a considerable distance inland from the tribal areas on the border.

The planning at the Special Operations Command intensified after Adm. Eric T. Olson, a member of the Navy Seals who is the new head of the command, met with General Musharraf and Pakistani military leaders in August to discuss how the military could increase cooperation in Pakistan’s fight against the extremists. A spokesman for the command, Kenneth McGraw, would not comment on any briefing paper that had been circulated for review. He said Friday that after Admiral Olson returned from his trip, he “energized the staff to look for ways to develop opportunities for future cooperation.” A senior Defense Department official said that Admiral Olson had prepared a memorandum on how Special Operations forces could assist the Pakistani military in the counterinsurgency, and shared that document with several senior Pentagon officials.

Four senior defense or counterterrorism officials confirmed that planning was under way at the command headquarters. One person who was briefed on the proposal prepared by the Special Operations Command staff members, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because the briefing had not yet been approved, said it was in the form of about two dozen slides. The slides described a strategy using both military and nonmilitary measures to fight the militants. One slide included a chart that categorized one to two dozen tribes by location—North Waziristan and South Waziristan, for example—and then gave a brief description of their location, their known or suspected links to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and their size and military abilities.

The briefing said United States forces would not be involved in any conventional combat in Pakistan. But several senior military and Pentagon officials said elements of the Joint Special Operations Command, an elite counterterrorism unit, might be involved in strikes against senior militant leaders under specific conditions.
...................................................................
A group of Pakistan experts convened in March by the Defense Intelligence Agency concluded that empowering tribal leaders could be an effective strategy to counter the rising influence of Islamic religious leaders and to weaken Al Qaeda. But a report on the session found that such successes “would be difficult to achieve, particularly in the north (Bajaur) and south (North and South Waziristan).”

One person who had been brief on the proposal cautioned that whether a significant number of tribal leaders would join an American-backed effort carried out by Pakistani forces was “the $64,000 question.”

[MrsSpringsteen]

Benazir Bhutto is dead, her husband said she was shot in the neck after a suicide blast today at a rally.

[AchtungBono]

Originally posted by MrsSpringsteen
Benazir Bhutto is dead, her husband said she was shot in the neck after a suicide blast today at a rally.

OMG....what a blow!!

RIP Benazir.....

From the CNN website:


RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has died after a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 of her supporters, ex-government spokesman Tariq Azim Khan and Pakistan's primary television networks said.

Video of the scene just moments before the explosion showed Bhutto stepping into a heavily-guarded vehicle to leave the rally.

Khan said while it appeared Bhutto was shot, it was unclear if her bullet wounds were caused by a shooting or shrapnel from the bomb.

The suicide attack left at least 14 dead and 40 injured, Khan told CNN in a telephone interview.

The attacker is said to have detonated a bomb as he tried to enter the rally where thousands of people gathered to hear Bhutto speak, police said.

Video from the scene of the blast broadcast from Geo TV showed wounded people being loaded into ambulances.

Up to 20 people are dead, the report said.

Earlier, four supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the Islamabad airport Friday, local police said.

Several other members of Sharif's party were wounded, police added.

While President Pervez Musharraf has promised free and fair parliamentary elections next month, continued instability in the tribal areas and the threat of attack on large crowds has kept people from attending political rallies and dampened the country's political process.

Campaigners from various political groups say fewer people are coming out to show their support due to government crackdowns and the threat of violence.

Thursday's violence come less than two weeks ahead of January parliamentary elections and as many days after President Pervez Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency he said was necessary to ensure the country's stability.

Critics said Musharraf's political maneuvering was meant to stifle the country's judiciary as well as curb the media and opposition groups to secure more power.

[U2democrat]

No good will come of this...at least in the short term.




I also want to add that unfortunately I am not surprised by this. I fear for the people of Pakistan and the potential violent backlash that may arise from this.

[coemgen]

Wow. I just read this on CNN.com.

Wow.

[coemgen]

From Time.com

Bhutto: "She has been Martyred"
By Aryn Baker

Just days before parliamentary polls in Pakistan, leading Prime Ministerial contender and anti terrorism crusader Benazir Bhutto was shot dead during an election rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. "She has been martyred," said party official Rehman Malik. The Associated Press, citing Malik, reported that Bhutto was shot in the neck and the chest before the gunman blew himself up. At least 20 bystanders were killed in the blast. Bhutto was rushed to a hospital But, at 6:16 p.m. Pakistan time, she was declared dead.

""How can somebody who can shoot her get so close to her with all the so-called security?" said a distraught Husain Haqqani, a former top aide to Bhutto, shortly after news of her death flashed around the world. Haqqani, who served as a spokesman and top aide to Bhutto for more than a decade, blamed Pakistani security, either through neglect or complicity, in her assassination. "This is the security establishment, which has always wanted her out," he said through tears.

For the past several months Pakistan has been plagued by a wave of violence that has seen hundreds of civilians killed in similar bombing attacks; and hundreds more military personnel, prompting President Pervez Musharraf to declare a state of emergency. On December 16th, Musharraf lifted the state of emergency, stating that the threat had been contained. The bombings, however, continued. Just hours before her assassination, Bhutto, 54, met with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss the threat of terrorism against both countries.

The U.S. has long supported a return to power by Bhutto, who was perceived to be a moderate willing to work with Washington on the war on terror. She was also seen as a democratic leader who would serve as a counter to the plummeting popularity of Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 military coup. It was thought that a power-sharing deal between the two, in which Musharraf stayed on as president while Bhutto lead as prime minister, would promote stability in this nuclear armed nation of 165 million. But from the day of her arrival in Pakistan after eight years in exile, Bhutto's return has been marred by violence.

On October 18th, a pair of bombs detonated in the midst a welcome home rally in Karachi for the former two-time prime minister, killing some 145 in a deliberate attempt on her life. The organization responsible for the carnage has not yet been identified, but Bhutto said she suspected al Qaeda and some unspecified members of Musharraf's government who did not want to see her return to power. Despite the clear threat to her life, Bhutto continued to campaign publicly with the kind of mass rallies that are the cornerstone of politicking in Pakistan. "I am not afraid," she told TIME last month, "I am ready to die for my country."

Haqqani, now a professor at Boston University, isn't sure what the latest bloodshed means for his country. "Will the Pakistani military realize that this is going to tear the fabric of the nation apart, and so really get serious about securing the country and about getting serious in dealing with the extremist jihadis?" he wondered. But he made clear he feels the best chance for such a policy has just evaporated. "She did show courage, and she was the only person who spoke out against terrorism," he said. "She was let down by those in Washington who think that sucking up to bad governments around the world is their best policy option."

Pakistan can ill afford to sacrifice the few moderate leaders it has left. Bhutto's death will plunge the upcoming elections into uncertainty and the country further into instability. And that's good news for terrorism. With reporting by Mark Thompson/Washington

[indra]

Originally posted by U2democrat

I also want to add that unfortunately I am not surprised by this.

That's what I thought when I read the news. Shocked, but ultimately not surprised.

Sad news though.