Musharraf imposes emergency rule

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency yesterday, saying that judges were interfering with the government and that Islamic militancy posed a grave threat to the country. He also replaced Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry with Justice Hameed Gogar.
Paramilitary troops and police surrounded the Supreme Court (SC) in Islamabad, which had been due in coming days to give a verdict on the legality of military ruler Musharraf's victory in an October 6 presidential election.
The SC ordered the suspension of emergency rule, private television reported, but the government rejected the move.
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.
Musharraf, a key US ally who seized power in a coup in 1999, may now also delay general elections due in January, which were seen as a key step in moving nuclear-armed Pakistan towards full civilian democracy.
"The chief of army staff (Musharraf) has proclaimed a state of emergency in the country and issued a provisional constitutional order," a presidential aide told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Musharraf was due to address the nation later, the aide added.
A copy of the emergency proclamation obtained by AFP said that the constitution had been suspended because of an upsurge in militant attacks and because of "increasing interference" by the judiciary.
Musharraf has been at loggerheads with the SC since his botched bid to sack the independent-minded chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, in March. Chaudhry was reinstated in July.
Pakistan's government held a special cabinet meeting earlier yesterday to approve the declaration of an emergency, a senior government official said.
The emergency order says that there had been a "visible ascendancy in the activities of extremists and incidents of terrorist attacks."
"Some judges by overstepping the limits of judicial authority have taken over the executive and legislative functions... working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism."
It said 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 the situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures."
The emergency will also likely shatter a proposed power-sharing deal between former premier Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf, which has been pushed by the United States and Britain ahead of the expected general elections.
Benazir Bhutto, who returned from eight years in self-exile on October 18 and flew to Dubai on Thursday, will not return immediately following the imposition of the emergency, a spokesman for her Pakistan People's Party told AFP.
Benazir Bhutto said earlier this week that she had heard speculation that Musharraf could declare a state of emergency and warned that her party and the opposition would not tolerate such a step.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf appointed a new chief justice yesterday after the imposition of a state of emergency, a government spokesman said.
Local television showed Musharraf, wearing a traditional black tunic, swearing in Dogar at the presidential palace. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and several generals in ceremonial dress watched the ceremony.
It was the first footage of Musharraf since he imposed the emergency.
"Justice Hameed Dogar was administered the oath as chief justice by President Pervez Musharraf under the new provisional constitutional order," the government spokesman said.
Musharraf suspended Chaudhry in March over allegations of misconduct, sparking mass protests. The Supreme Court reinstated Chaudhry in July and he has since handed down a series of damaging judgements against the government.
On Tuesday he accused Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of defying a SC order to allow former premier Nawaz Sharif to return from exile and ordered the government to allow him to come home.
Sharif, the man Musharraf ousted in 1999, flew back to Pakistan on September 10 but was deported hours later to Saudi Arabia.
REACTIONS
The United States yesterday said it was "deeply disturbed" by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency and urged Musharraf to stick to his commitment to step down as army chief and hold elections by January.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday said Britain is "gravely concerned" at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's declaration and urged him to act within the constitution.
Britain recognised the threats to peace and security in Pakistan, but its future lay in "harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism", he said.
"I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today, which will take Pakistan further from these goals," he said in a statement.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's decision to declare a state of emergency is "very worrying" and could lead to an escalation of violence, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said yesterday.
"There is a risk that confrontations and conflicts in the country will now escalate," he added.
"This is serious and very worrying. This is absolutely not the solution to Pakistan's problems."
"Mr Dogar cannot become the chief justice because he has a corruption reference against him," Chaudhry Ikram, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association told reporters outside the court.
"We will resist all unconstitutional steps," he said.
Pakistan's former premier Nawaz Sharif yesterday condemned President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of a state of emergency and called on him to step down.
"The decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented. Never in history has such treatment been meted out to judges," Sharif told private Geo television.
"Musharraf should step down today and pave the way for fair elections."
Sharif was toppled by Musharraf in a coup in 1999 and went into exile the following year.
He said that his faction of the Pakistan Muslim League party "will launch a full fledged movement against Musharraf. Nobody will believe elections held under Musharraf now. Pakistan is sinking, It is heading towards chaos," he added.