Benazir Bhutto was released from house arrest, but it will likely do nothing to quiet the voices shouting for the Musharraf government to pack up and leave.
Bhutto was briefly placed under house arrest and the stories of outrage from Internet pundits were legion. It remains to be seen if as many stories are written about the release. Using the short quarantine as another opportunity to bash the Musharraf's government, many commentators leaped at the chance.
More on another opportunity from CNN:
A house arrest order for Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been lifted, police sources told CNN Friday, bringing to an end a day-long standoff between the former Pakistani prime minister and security forces.
Hundreds of police who had lined up outside her home Friday left after the order was withdrawn. A smaller number of police who had previously been outside her home providing security remained.
The lifting of the order came as Pakistan suffered its first deadly blast since a declaration of emergency by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
The attack, possibly a suicide bomb, at the house of Amir Muqam, Minister for Political Affairs in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan killed four people Friday, police told CNN. The minister escaped unharmed.
Earlier Friday Washington had called for restrictions on Bhutto to be lifted. Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said: "Former Prime Minister Bhutto and other political party members must be permitted freedom of movement and all protesters released. It is crucial for Pakistan's future that moderate political forces work together to bring Pakistan back on the path to democracy."
Amid the many curses heaped upon the head of President Musharraf during the state of emergency, one tries to remember where this story has been seen before.
A Middle Eastern country is ruled by a autocratic figure, but has many democratic features and the people enjoy many freedoms. Unrest occurs and the ruler cracks down to maintain order. Forces purporting to work for democracy link hands with those working to instill an Islamic state. U.S. media and government types advise that the leader "must be moderate".
The leader then, caught between increasing public disorder and U.S. calls to be a force for democracy while restraining undemocratic elements, loses control and leaves. The democratic forces working for his ouster then quickly lose control to their one-time comrades, the Islamist faction.
Pakistan in 2007 is not the United States. Neither was Iran in 1979.
by Mondoreb
[image:CNN]
We asked the question Saturday. We ask it again on Monday: Is the State of Emergency in Pakistan a coup?
Forbes has now reported what Death By 1000 Papercuts put up on Saturday (Pakistan's State of Emergency: Is This a Coup?) No one listened--except Reuters, who yesterday posted our BNN article as related content yesterday, where it was still up this morning.
Forbes asked as we did on Saturday and was answered by a Pakistani statement:
Pakistan's government on Monday denied rumours sweeping the country that the deputy army chief had placed military ruler President Pervez Musharraf under house arrest.
'This is not true. There is no truth in it. He is at Aiwan-e-Sadr (the presidential palace) and has met with foreign diplomats,' a senior government spokesman told Agence France-Presse
What we wrote on Saturday:
State of Emergency or a coup? The Constitution is now suspended: is this an Army take-over? Though the Washington Post and others are saying President Musharraf is declaring a state of emergency, other sources are saying that Musharraf is not fully in charge here. It's the Chief of Army Staff who declared the State of Emergency, not President Musharraf.
That was on Saturday. This is Monday and still, questions about who is in charge in Pakistan continue.
[NOTE: We also posted this article on Diggs on Saturday. However, their users wouldn't have known it--it was quickly buried.]
by Mondoreb
Back to Front Page.
State of Emergency a coup? The Constitution is now suspended: is this an Army take-over? Though the Washington Post and others are saying President Musharraf is declaring a state of emergency, other sources are saying that Musharraf is not fully in charge here. It's the Chief of Army Staff who declared the State of Emergency, not President Musharraf.
UPDATE at 15:43 GMT from the BBC:
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has declared emergency rule and suspended the country's constitution.
Troops have been deployed inside state-run TV and radio stations, while independent channels have gone off air.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who condemned the moves, has reportedly been sacked and is being confined to the Supreme Court with 10 other judges.
It comes as the court was due to rule on the legality of Gen Musharraf's re-election victory in October.
The Court was to decide whether Gen Musharraf was eligible to run for election last month while remaining army chief.
So apparently at this moment, it was President Musharraf who's in charge and declaring the state of emergency. Events are moving fast in Pakistan. First it was the Red Mosque; last month it was an attempt on the life of candidate Bhutto. Now it's a state of emergency has been declared.
Now comes news from Noblesse Oblige that the state of emergency is coming from the Chief of Army Staff. Coup-time anyone?
UPDATE: The Chief of Army Staff declared the state of emergency, not President Musharraf — this could be a Coup in the shaping; or it could be a ploy to get the court to finish the deliberations on the challenges prior to the November 15th date when Musharraf’s holding of two offices definitely becomes unconstitutional.
The Washington Post is reporting that Musharraf is still in charge and has declared the state of emergency, but other sources dispute this. From the Washington Post:
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule Saturday, suspending the constitution amid a heavy security presence including armored personnel carriers on the streets of the capital.
Musharraf, who instituted a provisional constitution, was expected to address the nation later and cite continuing fighting in the turbulent Swat Valley as his reason.
We'll let the sources sort themselves out over the day. Major news channels are off the air, at last report, so news may be slow coming.
by Mondoreb
Back to Front Page.
