General Musharraf’s Moment of Truth Arrives
President General Pervez Musharraf’s (or for that matter Pakistan’s) D-Day has arrived. November 15 marks the end of the current Parliament’s five-year term. Also, Musharraf’s concurrent presidential mandate also expires Thursday, though he has extended it by calling the state of emergency that has cast Pakistan into a deep political crisis, reports Paul Haven, Associated Press Writer .
The gravity of the situation can be judged from the fact that on Wednesday a White House spokeswoman said Musharraf should relent “immediately.” Also, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is due in Islamabad on Friday.
“A caretaker administration will be charged with guiding Pakistan toward parliamentary elections to be held by Jan. 9. The vote is supposed to complete the restoration of democratic rule in Pakistan, eight years after Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup.
“However, both opposition parties and Western governments say that the vote cannot be considered free and fair unless the general quickly lifts the emergency, which many in Pakistan are equating with martial law.
“A U.S. diplomat met with detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto Thursday, while she and another rival of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf opened talks on forming an alliance against him. The political unrest worsened, leaving two children dead, officials said.
“Bryan Hunt, the U.S. consul general in Lahore, said he had told Bhutto of Washington’s wish for Musharraf to lift the state of emergency, quit as army chief and free opposition politicians and the media.
“Bhutto said she hopes to form a national unity government to replace President Gen. Pervez Musharraf ahead of elections, and is contacting other opposition parties to get them on board.”
Meanwhile the well-known Pakistani cricketer turned politician, Imran Khan, was facing up to 90 days of house arrest and possible terrorism charges last night after his attempt to launch a student protest movement against President Musharraf ended in chaos, reports The Times.
