Musharraf set to impose emergency: Reports

According to Pakistan TV channel reports President General Pervez Musharraf is planning to impose emergency in the country.

He has had several high-level meetings on Wednesday with leading counsel Sharifuudin Pirzada and his law secretary. Reports also said emergency can be declared on Thursday.

The meetings reviewed the political situation in the country and the options open to the government in current scenario.

According to Pakistan based news channel Geo TV, Musharraf has decided to impose emergency for one month and may extend it to three months.

Speculation mounted after Musharraf cancelled in the last minute his proposed visit to Kabul to take part in the Pakistan-Afghan tribal jirga to start on Thursday.

Pakistan Information Minister Tariq Azeem has said that emergency as an option cannot be ruled out. However, Pakistan law minister said he had no information on imposition of emergency.

No official confirmation

Reports say that all arrangements are in place but there is no official confirmation.

Reacting on the development former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto told Geo TV that she hoped emergency is not declared.

According to her emergency will not resolve situation. She also added that emergency won't reduce threats from al-Qaeda.

Ever since Musharraf sacked Chief Justice Iftekhar Mohammed Chaudhry there has been wide spread protest against him across the country.

Reinstatement of Justice Chaudhry by Pakistan Supreme Court further weakened Musharraf's position.

The Lal Masjid deadlock also complicated the situation for him and it became a rallying point for the hardliners.

The move is being considered ahead of the Supreme Court taking up the petitions of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz to return home from forced exile.

Musharraf's worry

However, the biggest worry for Musharraf is the sharp reaction that could come from lawyers, which had waged a strident anti-government agitation over Pakistan CJ's suspension.

Prominent lawyer Aitzaz Ahesan, who defended Justice Chaudhry leading to his reinstatement, said the conditions in Pakistan did not warrant the imposition of Emergency.

''Emergency, if at all imposed, should be imposed by an act of Parliament,'' he said adding any such move by Musharraf will be opposed by lawyers and challenged in the Supreme Court.

Attorney General Mallik Abdul Qayyum said he was not aware of any attempt to impose a state of Emergency and he believed that the situation did not warrant it.

Even if it is imposed, it would not affect Musharraf's plan to get re-elected as President between September 15 and October 15 by the present assemblies, he added.

Emergency was imposed in Pakistan in 1998 in the aftermath of the tit-for-tat nuclear tests carried out by Pakistan in response to Indian nuclear tests. (With PTI Inputs)