I just saw this on Ali's blog. This sounds very, very bad...
Musharraf has declared, not the emergency earlier feared, but martial law.
Constitution suspended
Supreme Court declares state of emergency illegal.
Troops enter Supreme Court, surround judge's homes
Channels off air
Update: Land and mobile telephone lines are down in Islamabad BBC adds.
Here's coverage on CNN and the BBC. Read the text of the declaration of emergency. Ali continues coverage here.
PajamasMedia has a news roundup, including these highlights:
Pickled Politics: “The Chief Justice has been arrested, but an 8 member panel of the Supreme Court has ruled that the Provisional Constitutional Order which Musharraf has put in place is illegal and should be set aside … Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association and an influential member of Benazir’s Pakistan People’s Party has been arrested. This seems significant as it suggests that the rumoured deal between Musharraf and Benazir has been scrapped.”
Daily Kos: “Events in Pakistan bear far more significance for the United States and global security than most of what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Furthermore, the significance of events in Iraq and Afghanistan relate largely to the impact these events have on the situation in Pakistan.”
Qurratulain: “It’s reported that the constitution of 1973 has also been dissolved”
BBC: “Gen Musharraf is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while remaining army chief … fears have been growing in the government that the Supreme Court ruling could go against Gen Musharraf.”
AP: “Dozens of police blocked the road in front of the Supreme Court building in Islamabad where judges were believed to be inside.”
Follow the link for more.
Ali writes that Pakistan's judiciary is being systematically destroyed:
Judges bugged. Judges! Forget about the rest of us. Judges!!!
Aitzaz Ahsan arrested.
New Chief Justice to take oath. How can any judge take oath under such circumstances? The next CJP doesn't deserved to be a Judge, let alone the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
More from PoliPundit:
The PakistaniTribune has more details on the Provisional Constitutional Order, and what articles of the 1973 Constitution have been suspended. Looking up a few of those listed gave me this list:
- Equality of citizens
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of association
- Freedom of movement
- Safeguards as to arrest and detention
- Security of person - (No person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with law)
This is all incredibly bad for both Pakistan and the world.
Please pray for Pakistan and all those being affected by this. I have several Pakistani friends who have family and loved ones there right now.
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