Al Jazeera Report on Pakistans Emergency Situation

Pakistan was once again flung into the international spotlight on Saturday 3rd November as Musharraf declared a state of 'Emergency'. The action to reassert his flagging authority was, he said, a response to Islamic militancy and to the 'paralysis of government by judicial interference'. He said that his country's sovereignty was at stake.

 

Over 500 senior party activists, Judges, lawyers, Human Rights activists were arrested, troops poured on to city streets and television and radio stations were taken off the air. Musharraf also suspended the constitution and fired the chief justice, Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry, who spearheaded a powerful mass movement against him earlier this year.

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International pressure was minimal, especially from the powers which brokered the deal between Bhutto and Musharraf in a power sharing agreement to run the country- namely America and Britain.

In a statement on Saturday night, the Pentagon said the emergency declaration by Musharraf did not impact the US military support of Pakistanor its efforts in the war on terror. Spokesman Geoff Morrell said: 'Pakistan is a very important ally in the war on terror and he [US Defence Secretary Robert Gates] is monitoring the situation there.'

British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband said. 'We recognise 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.'

Musharrafs options are narrowing as his days number down. Pakistan has witnessed huge turmoil in the last year at the behest of the actions of the Military Ruler, despite his attempts to brush this failure off his shoulders. Muslims in Pakistan are now waiting for a sincere leadership who has the nations interests at heart, rather than foreign powers and possesses real solutions and strategies to the turmoil which Pakistan is currently plagued with.