The United States has said it has started a review of all American aid to Islamabad following the imposition of a state of emergency in Pakistan. State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey told journalists at a press briefing that the review of aid to Pakistan was already underway. He hoped that consultations between the Pentagon and other government departments would further expand in the coming weeks.
According to Casey, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had made it clear to General Pervez Musharraf that Washington wants him to doff his military uniform as per his promise before he takes oath as the country’s president. As well, Pakistan must honor its promise to hold free, fair and transparent elections before January 15. He added that there was genuine need for lifting emergency in Pakistan. The courts must be allowed to play their role in the political process, and the crackdown on independent media and political opponents must end.
The spokesman said U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson was amongst the Western envoys who were given a special briefing on the emergency in Pakistan, where Paterson conveyed Washington’s disappointment at Musharraf’s decision to impose the emergency, which affects negatively the democratic process in Pakistan. The United States has long supported efforts to restore full democracy in Pakistan, but Musharraf’s action has forced Washington to review its policy towards Pakistan.
At an earlier meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyab Erdogan, President Bush called upon Musharraf to lift the emergency as soon as possible. He also asked the Pakistani leader to doff his military uniform. The United States also cancelled defense talks between the two countries in Islamabad. Washington has asked Pakistan’s Information Ministry to lift restrictions on the country’s independent media.
But Pakistan’s Foreign Office calls the state of emergency an internal affair of the country and rejected the reactions from the United States, United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries. The Foreign Office also rejected the just demands of the international community regarding lifting of the emergency, Musharaff’s abandoning his military role and the release of political detainees.
Pakistan is undergoing renewed political instability and divisions. The Pakistani government has been roundly condemned by big and small countries of the world and international pressure is mounting on the country’s leadership. It is in the interest of Pakistan to lift the state of emergency; otherwise Islamabad will face more difficulties at the international level.
The international opinion is very clear from the cancellation of US-Pakistan defense talks, cancellation of European Union’s investment delegation visit to Pakistan, and Holland’s decision to suspend economic aid to Pakistan. The Israeli and Indian lobby have also become active following the agitated mood of Pakistan’s civil society and the international community at the developments in Pakistan. According to a media report, about 100 members of U.S. Congress are set to write President Bush to suspend U.S. aid to Pakistan.
Protests and demonstrations are continuing across Pakistan despite the government’s clampdown on the media, while lawyers’ fraternity continues demonstrations across the country. The police have resorted to teargas and baton beatings on the protesting lawyers in many cities.
Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary, in a telephone conference with Rawalpindi Bar Association last week, said that the government feared that the 11-member Supreme Court would rule against Musharraf’s eligibility to hold the office of President. Pakistan’s federal cabinet also seemed to be divided over the imposition of emergency, while some ministers voted in favor of emergency in the cabinet, they verbally opposed it.
According to Washington Post, Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, the chief of the ruling Muslim League party, as saying that one of the Supreme Court judges had informed the government that the Supreme Court decision would rule against Musharraf, leaving the government no option but to impose the emergency. The Post quoted Shujaat saying that he and Musharraf were unhappy with the reports of court’s expected decision. If Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain’s statement is to believed, then Musharraf suspended the constitution in order to save himself from an unfavorable court decision and plunged the country into the bottomless depths of political uncertainty, chaos and confrontation.
It would have been in the national interest that the government show full confidence in the Supreme Court. Pakistan would not have seen political turbulence and international embarrassment if the rulers had shown respect for the rule of law and the constitution.
President Pervez Musharraf should show wisdom and pay heed to the advice of his friend George W. Bush to end this crisis at the earliest by reversing its actions against the judiciary, the media, the legal fraternity and the civil society. He should relinquish his military office, take back his illegal and unconstitutional orders and hold free and fair elections under a neutral caretaker setup. The country is undergoing the most difficult moments of its history. A regrettable aspect of the whole situation is that Pakistani rulers now need the advice of foreign leaders on domestic issues, such as the holding of elections and the doffing of military uniform, with U.S. Ambassador Paterson holding meetings with the Chief Election Commissioner and asking him to hold free and fair elections in Pakistan, despite knowing that elections are not freely held in her own country.
It is regrettable to note that no one else but the government is responsible for this sorry state of affairs in Pakistan. It is the government’s responsibility to pull the country out of this crisis by showing respect for the law and the constitution.
