Pakistan shrugs off international criticism of emergency rule

Nov 6, 2007, 10:33 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan on Tuesday rejected international condemnation of President Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose emergency rule and growing calls for the restoration of democracy as interference in its internal affairs.

'The imposition of emergency is Pakistan's internal affair,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

US President George W Bush on Monday urged Musharraf, a key US ally in the fight against terrorism, to restore civilian rule and hold elections - currently set for January - 'as soon as possible'.

But Sadiq said: 'This is an extraordinary step that was taken to meet extraordinary challenges Pakistan is facing in form of extremism and terrorism. We expect friendly countries to show understanding to the delicacy of situation.'

Musharraf, an army general who took power in a military coup in 1999, has repeatedly justified the suspension of the country's constitution on Saturday by saying it would reinforce efforts to curb rising militancy in the tribal belt near Afghanistan.

But there is a widespread belief that he used the extra-constitutional measure to neutralize a defiant judiciary, which he believed would rule against his controversial re-election on October 6. All top judges were removed from their posts and required to swear fresh oaths of allegiance although many refused to do so and were placed under house arrest.

Thousands of lawyers and rights activists on Monday held countrywide anti-Musharraf demonstrations, which police broke up using tear gas, baton charges and mass arrests, drawing severe international criticism.

Holland announced a temporary halt to all financial assistance for Pakistan while Britain said it was 'considering its position' on grants for development and other projects.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour expressed alarm at the suspension of basic human rights.

Arbour said she was particularly concerned about reports that leading judges, lawyers and political and human rights activists had been detained or placed under house arrest, including the UN's special rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, Asma Jahangir.

The opposition claimed more than 3,000 people had been rounded up since Saturday. Official sources put the number at 1,500.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called upon Musharraf to immediately free the detainees, his spokeswoman said.

Despite the broad criticism of emergency rule, Bush was careful to maintain diplomatic balance with a key ally in the fight on terrorism, praising Musharraf as a 'a strong fighter against extremists and radicals.'

But the Bush administration, which proclaims the promotion of democracy to be the bedrock of its foreign policy, was in turn accused of backing Musharraf as an anti-terrorism ally at the expense of democracy.

In the face of growing global pressure, Musharraf's government continued to give confusing signals about the holding of general elections of a new parliament due by mid-January.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Monday that there would be no change in the election schedule, a day after he indicated the vote could be delayed for one year.