Pakistan Army vs its Judiciary

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/05/2081323.htm
Musharraf guilty of second coup: Bhutto
Posted Mon Nov 5, 2007 7:33am AEDT

Former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto accused President Pervez Musharraf of staging a "second coup" which would only fuel radicalism in the nuclear-armed country.

Interviewed on US network CBS, Ms Bhutto said Pakistani judges and opposition parties would not take the military ruler's declaration of emergency rule "lying down."

"I'm very disappointed that General Musharraf has suspended the constitution of our country and promulgated a provisional constitutional order," she said, accusing him of staging a "second coup" after first seizing power in 1999.

"Ironically this is a coup conducted by Gen Musharraf against his own regime in a sense because he's acted in his capacity as army chief to suspend the constitution and to declare a new provisional constitution.

"But I know that the judges are not going to take this lying down. The lawyers aren't going to take this lying down. The political activists and party leaders are going to protest it," Ms Bhutto said.

"It's going to lead to an unnecessary confrontation between the regime and the people which only can help the extremists who will exploit the situation to their advantage."

But speaking earlier on the BBC, Ms Bhutto did not rule out new power-sharing talks with Gen Musharraf.

"I have always maintained that I want democracy and I want the people of Pakistan to choose their own leaders," she told the British network.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/05/2082367.htm?section=justin

Trying to defer the elections scheduled for January..
In last 48 hours he has filled about 40% of the legal positions vacancies in high court and supreme court (with stooges more "ameniable" to his military position)

And the Army and (current) Judiciary are in serious battle..

Apparently he has called - if not full marshall rule - then a "mini-marshall-law"
parts of the constitution have been suspended
fundamental rights have been suspended

they can hold anyone they like without recourse to the courts
the media has been clamped down

they've taken channels off the air
if press violate a new set of rules, they are liable to 3 years jail without a trial

cannot criticise the army
cant talk about the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan (whatever that means)

they've pulled out all the old colonial clauses and bunged them into new ordinances

General Musharraf wants a one year extension of parliament
Benazir Bhutto wants an early election
scheduled for January - might be postponed

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/05/2082367.htm?section=justin
Lawyers wounded in Pakistan protests
Posted 1 hour 40 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 14 minutes ago

Several lawyers are reported to have been wounded in Pakistan after police fired tear gas and launched a baton charge at the High Court in Lahore.

Some of the lawyers were beaten by police and suffered head wounds.

Lawyers protesting against the nationwide emergency rule imposed by the President, General Pervez Musharraf, have also been baton-charged by police in Karachi.

The former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, says his party is uniting with others to oppose General Musharraf.

"We will do all that we can," he said.

"Together with other political parties who believe in democracy and the restoration of the rule of law are going to launch a decisive movement against Musharraf's high-handedness and undemocratic action."

A key Islamist opposition party planning to join the protests said hundreds of its activists had also been arrested over night.

General Musharraf had told the nation he needed emergency powers because an activist judiciary was paralysing the Government and hindering the fight against terrorism.

Lawyers have been at the forefront of an anti-Musharraf campaign since he tried to sack chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry in March, and have planned protests across the country.

The deposed chief justice told a local newspaper that General Musharraf's actions were "illegal and unconstitutional".

The United States has suspended annual high-level defence talks with Pakistan in response to the crisis.

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http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=4051
Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan bowls an outswinger to Musharraf, as he escapes from police detention in Lahore.

Musharraf's crackdown hasn't gone down too well with his opposition. Leading Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan, has escaped from his home in Lahore on Sunday (November 4, 2007), just hours after the police put him under house arrest following the imposition of emergency rule by President Pervez Musharraf.

Relatives of Imran Khan state that, he was detained along with eight supporters at the house. In the meanwhile, Khan has urged Pakistanis to take to the streets to protest against General Musharraf's action.

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http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=4058
Pakistan lawyers on a strike
11/5/2007 11:20:40 AM

Two days after General Musharraf imposed emergency in Pakistan the country's lawyers are leading the protest and have announced a strike today(Nov 5)

The protests turned violent with lawyers being lathicharged in front of the Karachi high court by the police. Reports confirm that mass arrests have been made outside the Sindh court as well.

This protest comes even as the Musharraf regime has arrested more than 1000 prominent politicians, lawyers and others opposed to the emergency. Musharraf had sacked Chief Justice Ifthikar Chowdhury as soon as emergency was imposed. Indicating that the emergency may be a prolonged one Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz earlier told reporters that it could take more than a year to hold fresh election in the state.

Meanwhile in a clear setback to Musharraf his staunchest ally the US said that it would review it's financial aid to Pakistan after impostion of emrgency. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice also made it very clear that the Bush administration does not support Musharraf's declaration of emergency.

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"Let's settle the Kashmir issue over the cricket match" - in jest.

During the recent visit in 2006 of George W. Bush to Pakistan, Imran was the only politician to attempt to hold a rally against his visit.

Doesn't like Salmon Rushdie. Members of PTI in northwestern Peshawar chanted "Curse Rushdie, Long Live Osama Bin Laden".

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imran_Khan
Currently, Imran Khan is the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) (Movement for Justice) the political party that he founded in 1997. He has been placed under house arrest after a state of emergency was imposed in Pakistan [1] but is reported to have managed to escape.[2]
............
In 1997, he started a socio-political movement in Pakistan known as the Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) and ran for office in the National Elections. The movement's main focus is to bring justice to the people of Pakistan, largely via an independent judiciary. The party has Islamic overtones and was inspired partly by Khan's renewed commitment to Islam. He became a Member of Parliament for Mianwali in the October 2002 elections. Amidst several resignation threats, Imran Khan finally tendered his resignation before the country's Presidential elections were held, about a month before the National Assembly completes its tenure.

He is very critical of the judicial system in Pakistan, which he says prevents accountability for the elite class in Pakistan. Initially Imran supported 1999's military coup of General Pervez Musharraf. Later he came to the forefront of Musharraf's critics.

Imran Khan is known for making politically charged statements that have raised eyebrows, both when he was captain of the Pakistan team and later in his role as a politician. The first of these statements came during an India Pakistan match in Sharjah where Imran remarked, "Let's settle the Kashmir issue over the cricket match". Imran has claimed that he had made that statement only casually. Versions are often used as jokes in Pakistan.

In 2005, as leader of his party, Imran led a protest rally against the US-led coalition, for desecrating the Holy Quran, and made statements denouncing the Musharraf-Bush coalition.[citation needed] He described Musharraf as President Bush's Blue-Eye-Boy, however President Clinton was even reluctant to shake hands with Musharraf. Imran continues to be critical of the pro-American policies of Pakistan government.

PTI condemn Rushdie Honor
PTI condemns the Salman Rushdie's honor by Queen Elizabeth. Members of PTI in northwestern Peshawar chanted "Curse Rushdie, Long Live Osama Bin Laden".

On December 7 2005, he was elected as the Chancellor of University of Bradford, the first international personality to have been given the honour by the university.

During the recent visit in 2006 of George W. Bush to Pakistan, Imran was the only politician to attempt to hold a rally against his visit. The rally was stopped and Imran Khan was detained by the police.

Imran's current projects including building a branch of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in Karachi and a University in his hometown of Mianwali....

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noirua said:

There are losers in this dangerous game. Watch carefully for the winners.

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2020hindsight said:

noi - are they short term winners ? or long term winners ?

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General Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999, cited
1. a meddling judiciary as one of the reasons for the emergency, along with

2. spiralling Islamic militancy.

But there were also fears in the Government about
3. an imminent Supreme Court decision on the legality of General Musharraf's victory in an October 6 presidential election.

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Mobile phones cut in Islamabad as judge addresses lawyers
Posted 2 hours 25 minutes ago

Mobile phones went dead in the Pakistani capital Islamabad as the country's sacked chief justice addressed a meeting of lawyers by telephone, witnesses said.

Top judge Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was ousted by President Pervez Musharraf after the declaration of a state of emergency, urged lawyers to hold protests in a speech also broadcast on private television.

After a few minutes the line that the judge was speaking over was cut and mobile phones in the capital went dead, AFP correspondents and witnesses said.

"I want lawyers to spread my message, the time for sacrifice has come and to stand up for the constitution," Mr Chaudhry said in his speech.

The sound of cheering could be heard in the background.

"Tell people about this illegal and unconstitutional emergency," he said.

General Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999, cited a meddling judiciary as one of the reasons for the emergency, along with spiralling Islamic militancy.

But there were also fears in the Government about an imminent Supreme Court decision on the legality of General Musharraf's victory in an October 6 presidential election.

"The ruling junta was afraid that the court would rule against them but police are aware that the Supreme Court has always held constitution above all else and provided justice to the people," Mr Chaudry said.

General Musharraf first tried to sack the independent-minded chief justice in March, sparking the biggest protests of his eight-year rule. The court reinstated Mr Chaudhry in July.

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Court dismisses final Musharraf challenge

Pakistan's Supreme Court, stacked with judges friendly to President Pervez Musharraf, have dismissed a final challenge to his re-election, the new chief justice said, paving the way for him to quit as army chief.

The long-awaited ruling comes as General Musharraf faces the prospect of Pakistan's second suspension from the Commonwealth since he took power in a bloodless 1999 coup, because he continues to resist calls to fully lift emergency rule imposed on November 3.

"Dismissed," Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar said after hearing the petition, the sixth and final challenge to General Musharraf's October 6 re-election to be thrown out by the court.

Attorney-General Malik Qayyum said before the ruling that he expected General Musharraf to be sworn in for a second term "by the weekend or immediately thereafter".

General Musharraf's top legal adviser, Sharifuddin Pirzada, said there was now no legal obstacle to his re-election.

"Now the court has to give us this in writing," Mr Pirzada said.

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Pakistan Govt to review role in 'war on terror'
Posted 8 hours 32 minutes ago
Updated 7 hours 40 minutes ago
Pakistan's new Government will review the country's role in the US-led "war on terror," former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif said after holding talks with a top American envoy.

Mr Sharif, whose party is in a Coalition that trounced President Pervez Musharraf's allies in elections, said he wanted peace around the world but did not want Pakistan turned into a "murder-house" to achieve that aim.

"We discussed terrorism, we informed them our point of view is that since 9/11 all decisions were made by one man," Mr Sharif told reporters after meeting visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte in Islamabad.

"Now the situation has changed, a truly representative Parliament has come into being.... Every decision will be presented before the Parliament, they will review Mr Musharraf's policy in the last six years," he said.

......"Pervez Musharraf used the "war on terrorism" to perpetuate his rule. No Cabinet and no Parliament was taken into confidence in any of his decisions. That is why it did not have popular support," Mr Sharif said.,,, etc

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Closer ties

Meanwhile, Afghanistan says it hopes the election of a new Government and Prime Minister in Pakistan would lead to closer cooperation in efforts to fight extremism plaguing both countries.

President Hamid Karzai issued a statement congratulating Mr Gilani and "deemed terrorism and extremism a serious problem against stability and development in the region and hoped the new Pakistan Parliament and Prime Minister achieve huge success against this destructive phenomenon," it said.

The President also wanted relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan - both key allies in the "war on terror" - to expand under Mr Gilani, the statement said.

Ties between the neighbours are fragile with both accusing each other of not doing enough to tackle Islamic militants behind a wave of violence on both sides of the border.

The Afghan Defence Ministry said separately that the election showed people in Pakistan "are weary of extremism."

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