Musharraf puts democracy on hold

Both the United States and Britain complained about Musharraf’s actions.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended Pakistan’s constitution and deployed troops in the capital Saturday, declaring that rising Islamic extremism had forced him to take emergency measures that included replacing the nation’s chief justice and blacking out the independent media that refused to support him.

Authorities began rounding up opposition politicians despite calls from Washington and other Western allies not to take authoritarian measures.

The U.S. called for Musharraf to restore democracy. However, the Pentagon said the emergency declaration does not affect U.S. military support for Pakistan and its efforts in the war on terrorism. Britain said it was deeply concerned.

His leadership threatened by an increasingly defiant court and an Islamic movement that has spread to Islamabad, Musharraf said Pakistan was at a “dangerous” juncture and extremists had directly challenged the government’s authority.

“The extremism has even spread to Islamabad, and the extremists are taking the writ of the government in their own hands, and even worse, they are imposing their obsolete ideas on moderates,” the president said in an address to the nation late Saturday on state-run television.

Musharraf replaced the chief justice of the Supreme Court — who had emerged as the main check on his power — before a crucial Supreme Court ruling on his future as president. His emergency order accused some judges of “working at cross-purposes with the executive” and “weakening the government’s resolve” to fight terrorism.

He criticized the Supreme Court for failing to make a ruling yet on whether to validate his contentious victory in a presidential election, and for punishing government officers, including police. He said this had left the government system “semi-paralyzed.”

Seven of the 17 Supreme Court judges immediately rejected the emergency, which suspended the current constitution. Police blocked entry to the Supreme Court building and later took the deposed chief justice and other judges away in a convoy, witnesses said.

In his television address, Musharraf said he hoped democracy would be restored after parliamentary elections.

“But, in my eyes, I say with sorrow that some elements are creating hurdles in the way of democracy,” said Musharraf, who was wearing civilian clothes and spoke firmly and calmly. “I think this chaos is being created for personal interests and to harm Pakistan.”

The order drew swift complaints from the United States and Britain — Musharraf’s main Western allies. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged restraint on all sides and a return to democracy.

The United States “does not support extraconstitutional measures,” Rice said from Turkey, where she was participating in a conference with Iraq’s neighbors.

Musharraf claimed that 61 terrorists have been freed on order from the court — an apparent reference to a case that has been led by the now-deposed chief justice to press authorities over suspects held by intelligence agencies without charge.

“Extremists are openly roaming,” he said “And no one knows whether any of the these freed men were behind recent bomb attacks.”

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a longtime rival of Musharraf who recently returned from eight years of exile, flew back to Pakistan from Dubai where she was visiting family. She left the airport under police escort; her house was surrounded by paramilitary troops.

After her arrival at Karachi’s Airport, Bhutto said she did not believe there would be fair elections as long as emergency rule remained in place.

“Unless General Musharraf reverses the course, it will be very difficult to have fair elections,” she told Sky News television by telephone. “I agree with him that we are facing a political crisis, but I believe the problem is dictatorship, I don’t believe the solution is dictatorship.

“The extremists need a dictatorship, and dictatorship needs extremists.”