Emergency Looms on the Horizon Pakistan

Emergency looms on the horizon

Absar Alam

ISLAMABAD: In order to ensure smooth re-election of the president, the government is expected to slap emergency on the country, apparently to ward off the rising political pressure of the opposition through the courts and streets, a source told The News on Wednesday.

The situation was, however, quite confusing as the news of emergency was leaked by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at a meeting of PML-Q women parliamentarians. Playing coy, none of the government spokespersons rejected the imposition of emergency outright.

Shujaat's announcement about emergency was received with shock and disbelief by the guests at the dinner. Shujaat also confirmed the news of emergency to The News but refused to give any details or the timing of its imposition.

The emergency, if enforced, will cite the threat of foreign aggression and internal instability. It will also help the government extend the tenure of the existing National Assembly and the government for a year.

The phantom of foreign aggression was let loose by Tanvir Hussain, the parliamentary secretary for defence, whose emotional verbosity in the National Assembly on Tuesday had left everyone guessing about the wisdom and timing of such a statement in an era of enlightened moderation.

Reacting to the US presidential candidates' remarks of bombing Makkah and Madina, Hussain had justified the suicide bombings, and sought support for the Taliban and jihadi elements. This generated a reprimand by the US that has already threatened Pakistan to strike targets inside its territory.

Hussain's command performance in the National Assembly evinced the right reaction from Washington which will serve as a reason for the emergency. The imposition of emergency will immediately suspend fundamental rights of the citizens such as the freedom of movement, assembly and association.

The decision to impose emergency, which is being touted by official circles as a 'lesser evil than martial law', was taken at a meeting of the top Army brass held on Wednesday with Musharraf in the chair.

The meeting was also attended by the intelligence chiefs, Musharraf's close aides and the legal crutch of all military rulers — Sharifuddin Pirzada. Once the decision was taken, the president summoned PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to hand down the announcement. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also held a meeting with the president.

A high-level meeting was going on in the Prime Minister's House when we went to the press after midnight. Pirzada, in that meeting, was giving last touches to the emergency order that would be proclaimed under article 232 of the Constitution.

Parliament will validate the imposition of emergency within three days. A joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate will be convened for this purpose. A meeting between the Speaker National Assembly, Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Chief Whip Nasrullah Dareshak was held Wednesday night to discuss the strategy to get the parliament's support.

Prominent lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, however, said the emergency will not affect the hearing of Nawaz Sharif's case in the Supreme Court as Article 25 of the Constitution cannot be suspended through emergency. In addition to other articles, the Sharif brothers have also invoked the Court under article 25.

Asim Yasin adds: If emergency is imposed, articles 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 24 of the Constitution would stand suspended. Sources within the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q said President General Pervez Musharraf had also summoned a meeting today (Thursday) to review the situation and take a final decision regarding imposition of emergency in the country.

With the imposition of emergency, the tenure of the National Assembly may be enhanced for one year but the provincial assemblies would be sent packing on completion of their constitutional tenure on November 15.

Under article 232, emergency could be imposed if the security of Pakistan is threatened by external aggression or by internal disturbance. Political and legal experts believe that recent statements of the United States against Pakistan and threats to attack the tribal areas and law and order situation has forced the president to invoke emergency in the country.

A strong stance of lawmakers of the ruling coalition against the United States during the last two days debate on foreign policy in the National Assembly raised many eyebrows that something was cooking up.

Most of the PML-Q leaders confirmed off the record the decision to impose emergency in the country but on the record they were only saying it with 'ifs and butts'. When contacted, Minister of State for Information Senator Tariq Azeem said the option of emergency is already in the constitution. "You can never say, 'never' as the option of emergency exists in the constitution," he added.

AP adds: President General Pervez Musharraf's government is not ruling out the possible imposition of a state of emergency because of "external and internal threats" to the country and deteriorating law and order in the volatile northwest, a spokesman said.

Tariq Azeem, minister of state for information, said Pakistani media reports that Musharraf would soon declare an emergency were "unconfirmed", but added that the possibility had been discussed and that "no firm decision has yet been taken".

"These are only unconfirmed reports although the possibility of imposition of emergency cannot be ruled out and has recently been talked about and discussed keeping in mind some external and internal threats and the law and order situation," he told The Associated Press.