Pakistan PM Says Up to 500 Detained (Activists, Lawyers Arrested)

[Hissyspit]

Source: MSNBC

Pakistan PM says up to 500 detained
After constitution suspended, Shaukat Aziz says elections likely delayed

MSNBC News Services
updated 4:34 a.m. ET, Sun., Nov. 4, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's prime minister said Sunday that up to 500 people had been detained after Pakistan's military ruler suspended the constitution, ousted the top judge and deployed troops to fight amid rising Islamic extremism. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also said during a press conference that parliamentary elections could be postponed up to a year, but that no such decision had been made.

Earlier, police wielding assault rifles rounded up opposition leaders and rights activists after Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency Saturday night, dashing hopes of a smooth transition to democracy for the nuclear-armed nation.

"Gen. Musharraf's second coup," said the headline in the Dawn daily. "It is martial law," said the Daily Times. Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup but had promised to hand over his army fatigues and become a civilian president this year.

Activists, lawyers arrested

Across Pakistan, police arrested political activists and lawyers at the forefront of a campaign against military rule. Among those detained were Javed Hashmi, the acting president of the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; cricket star-turned politician, Imran Khan; Asma Jehangir, chairman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; and Hamid Gul, former chief of the main intelligence agency and a staunch critic of Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led war on terror.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com:80/id/21609019

[woodsprite]

1. Where we have someone who siezed power in 2000

in a pair of cowboy boots and who likes to play dress up in military fatigues.

[YDogg]

2. this is bush's wet dream

[ohio2007]

3. Did anybody really think a tin pot could change his colors w/ $10 Billion in tax donations? nt

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Control the lawyers and you control the Constitution and the rule of law.

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" (King Henry VI, Pt. II)

[ohio2007]

5. ..but .... lawyers are the politicians that control the government. nt

[rodeodance]

6. Activists detained in Pakistan emergency

Source: ap

Activists detained in Pakistan emergency

By MATTHEW PENNINGTON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 48 minutes ago

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Police wielding assault rifles rounded up opposition leaders and rights activists Sunday after Pakistan's military ruler suspended the constitution, ousted the top justice and deployed troops to fight what he called rising Islamic extremism.


Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup but had promised to hand over his army fatigues and become a civilian president this year, declared a state of emergency Saturday night, dashing hopes of a smooth transition to democracy for the nuclear-armed nation.

"Gen. Musharraf's second coup," read the headline in the Dawn daily. "It is martial law," said the Daily Times...........

Aziz also said that up to 500 opposition activists had been arrested in the last 24 hours.
...........


"They dragged us out, including the women," he said from the police station in the eastern city. "It's inhuman, undemocratic and a violation of human rights to enter a room and arrest people gathering peacefully there."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_re_as/pakistan;_ylt=AinDWKXAmp9NDwDLdjXmwcis0NUE

[fasttense]

7. Ah yes, that piece of paper called a Constitution.

It tends to annoy many national leaders.

[ohio2007]

8. Aziz comments recorded three months ago

It's worth the 20 minutes to hear ALL of his comments with the Cheny soundbyte that follows.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3052837&mesg_id=3053454

This may be the only chance we will hear his disident voice and opinion on events dealing with the tribal areas

[flordehinojos]

9. Pakistan is giving us a preview of what will happen here whenever Bushit Boy decides he wants it to

happen here ... and the so called democrats in the senate keep standing with him on eeverything.

[badgervan]

10. Another Nice Job, Bushie

Contrary to the mainstream media's constant declaring of "Pakistan is America and democracy's friend", they are anything but. This is the country where the middle east finally explodes; they have nukes, they have Taliban, they have Osama, and they have pure hate for us - and Israel
This could get real bad.

[Baby Snooks]

11. And who made sure they had the bomb?

Of all the countries that should never have been allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, Pakistan was on the top of the list. And yet that is the one country the CIA of George HW Bush made sure developed one.

The reality of al Queda is it could care less about who rules Pakistan but it will take advantage of civil disorder in an attempt to seize Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and then use it if it's successful.

If the CIA can't track Osama bin Laden then they probably can't track the nuclear warheads. Until they go off.

And Pelosi will smile and say nothing when they do. And then jump in Bush's lap and wag her tail. And wait for her little treat.

Unless of course one of the nuclear warheads goes off in Washington.

[ohio2007]

12. Indian govt, opposition differ on Musharraf’s move

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: India on Saturday expressed regret over the “difficult times” Pakistan was going through but flatly refused to condemn the state of emergency declared by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

In contrast to the official Indian statement, opposition leader L.K. Advani described Gen Pervez Musharraf as an untrustworthy ally in the fight against terrorism and expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan.

India’s foreign ministry spokesman issued a two-line statement which said: “We regret the difficult times that Pakistan is passing through. We trust that conditions of normalcy will soon return permitting Pakistan’s transition to stability and democracy to continue.”

The need for stability together with democracy was emphasised by junior foreign minister Anand Sharma too. But when he was asked by a news channel if the emergency was condemnable he declined to be drawn into the discussion.
snip
“I would like to emphasise that the struggle for democracy and the struggle against terrorism, fuelled by religious extremism, are inseparable in Pakistan.

“The international community must understand that those who have imposed the emergency for perpetuation of military rule in Pakistan cannot be a reliable ally in the struggle against jihadi terrorism.

snip

http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/top5.htm

Seems the world doesn't revolve around an oval office inside the DC beltway when the the leaders comments of largest democracy and neighbor of Pakistan seem to remain under the radar.

[Supersedeas]

13. democracy -- Condi style

[Acadia Blue]

14. When they go for the lawyers...it means big trouble is ahead