The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Masum Billah

The apprehension and suspension regarding the Pakistan politics since Parvez Musharraf's win in the presidential election held on October 6 this year has come true. No sensible person would give consent to Musharraf's participation in the presidential election wearing uniform though the judicial department of Pakistan nodded their head towards him. Uncertainty and apprehension gathered in the political sky of Pakistan as the court might not give verdict on behalf of Musharraf's assuming the post of president. Sensing such kind of declaration Parvez Musharraf declared the state of emergency in Pakistan. Paramilitary troops and police have surrounded the Supreme Court in Islamabad. All land and mobile telephone lines went down shortly after the declaration while private television channels were taken off the air as tension gripped the normally placid capital.

The Supreme Court ordered the suspension of emergency rule but the government rejected the move. President Parvez Musharraf has been at loggerheads with the Supreme Court since his botched bid to sack the independent minded chief justice Iftakhar Muhammad Chaudhury in March who was reinstated in July following a series of stormy protest organized by the judges and common people. This incident has angered Musharraf who has been hatching the plan to give a good lesson to the Supreme Court verdict showing the true face of military which does not care any sanity and civility. His personal grievance against the court surfaces the deep rooted hatred lying between the military and the judiciary. Though this has been a common a history in Pakistan, people expected the coming of at least half democracy with Benazir's return to the country after eight years in exile.

All the hopes of reviving democracy have been ended in smoke. Benazir Bhutto expressed her reaction who is now away from the country that earlier this week she had heard speculation that Musharraf could declare state of emergency and warned that her party and the opposition would not tolerate such a step.

Nawaz Sharif who had been ousted in 1999 flew back to Pakistan on September 10 but was deported hours later to Saudi Arabia said, " the decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented. Never in Pakistan history has such treatment been meted out to judges."

The United States of America said in its reaction, "We are deeply disturbed by Pakistan's declaration of the state of emergency and urged Musharraf to stick to his commitment to step down as army chief and hold election by January.British Foreign Secretary David said "Britain is gravely concerned at the declaration of emergency in Pakistan and urged to act within the constitution. Britain recognized the threats to peace and security but its future in harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism. He further said'I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today which will take Pakistan farther form the goals.

Analysts say that Musharraf was keen to appoint a loyalist as his successor to ensure that he himself does fall victim to military intervention when he becomes a civilian leader." President Musharraf has made a very correct choice as successor in General Ashfak Kyani. He will be a healer in the civil-military divide which exists today"--------retired general turned political analyst Talat Masood.

Following the same theory he has appointed Hameed Gogar as chief justice of Pakistan replacing Iftekhar Chaudhury. Mr. " "Dogar cannot become the chief justice because he has a corruption reference against him" Chaudhury Ikram, former president of the Suprme Court Bar Association told outside the court adding " we will resist all unconstitutional steps."

Musharraf lays pleas of rising extremism and militancy and judges' interference with the government for declaring the state of emergency. The rising face of extremisim and militancy in Paksitan can be deduced from the following incidents.

" The government should abolish co-education. Quaid-e-Azam Unvieristy has become a brothel. Its female professors and students roam in objectionable dresses. I think I will have to send my daughters of Jamia Hafsa to these immoral women. They will have to hide themselves in the hijab otherwise they will be punished according to Islam.

Our female students have not issued the threat of throwing acid on the uncovered faces of women.

However, such a threat could be used for creating the fear of Islam among sinful women. There is no harm in it. There are far more horrible punishments in the hereafter for such women" Lal Mosjid head cleric adds this chilling messages for women madrasa students Abdul Rashid Ghazi.On May 07 a female teacher of history in Quadi-e-Azam Univeristy physically assaulted in her office by a bearded Taliban looking man who screamed that he had instructions from Allah."

President Parvez Musharraf said that tough measures were needed to counter it as pro-Taliban militants had kidnapped eight government officials and four police officers. His present state of emergency declaration cannot match with countering militancy and extremism.

His sincere effort could have addressed the situation more pragmatically during his office from 1999 onwards. This lame excuse cannot convince the civilized world to suppress the free will of the people of Pakistan. Musharraf must not take time to understand this simple truth.

(The writer works in the PACE Programme of Brac Head Office and regularly writes on national and international issues.)