Nadeem Syed
LAHORE - After high-level consultations, the government has finalised the blueprint of a legal framework order to impose emergency in the country and a PCO purported to tame the judiciary, which has given a number of decisions against the Presidency and the government.
Under the new PCO, the judges will be required to take fresh oath, which will automatically exclude all the judges hostile to the Presidency from the future dispensation.
Sources close to the Presidency claimed that emergency could be enforced any time.
“Earlier the issue was when to impose emergency, whether before the Supreme Court decision on the eligibility of Gen Musharraf or after the ruling. But now there is probability that it will be promulgated within next 48 hours. The coming weekend is very crucial,” sources claimed.
There is a strong perception among the President’s aides that the SC’s verdict will be overwhelmingly against President Musharraf, hence the planning to impose emergency and PCO in order to disable the judiciary which most political analysts believe will not solve President Musharraf’s problems. The relations between the judiciary and executive turned sour after the former had given a number of decisions which were embarrassing to the Presidency and the government.
The SC, which before was scheduled to give its verdict after November 15, is now keen to wrap up the case at the earliest to dispel the impression that it is delaying the announcement of the high-profile case on purpose.
There was also a perception in the Presidency that SC would give its decision after November 15 leaving behind the President with a very little options, as the assemblies would be no more there and the President too would be required to shed his uniform.
Meanwhile, while all is set to enforce emergency in the country, both the President and the Prime Minister are in unison to pursue their remaining agenda as per schedule. Both of them want to hold elections on time, introduce caretaker set-up from November 15 with the dissolution of the present assemblies. Even the President is ready to shed his uniform by November 15.
The top PML leadership too supports the imposition of emergency in the country. Those who favour emergency include the Chaudhrys and party stalwarts like Humayun Akhtar, Ejazul Haq, Sheikh Rashid and Hamid Nasir Chattha while interestingly people like SM Zafar and Manzoor Wattoo oppose the idea of emergency. They supported the idea of emergency for the time being during the recent meeting of party’s elite Policy Planning Group. They, not only supported emergency, but unlike the President and the Prime Minister, also wished to delay the polls as well. They even advised the President not to shed his uniform by November 15.
Their keenness to delay elections is understandable. With the return of Benazir Bhutto and possible return of Nawaz Sharif their prospects in the coming elections are not very bright. The chances of any understanding between PML-N and PML are also next to impossible despite efforts to entice the Sharifs.
Sources claimed that emergency was likely to be enforced through an act of parliament for which National Assembly would be convened. While the National Assembly will continue to function for an extended period, the provincial assemblies will go and Governor rule will be imposed in the provinces.
LAHORE - After high-level consultations, the government has finalised the blueprint of a legal framework order to impose emergency in the country and a PCO purported to tame the judiciary, which has given a number of decisions against the Presidency and the government.
Under the new PCO, the judges will be required to take fresh oath, which will automatically exclude all the judges hostile to the Presidency from the future dispensation.
Sources close to the Presidency claimed that emergency could be enforced any time.
“Earlier the issue was when to impose emergency, whether before the Supreme Court decision on the eligibility of Gen Musharraf or after the ruling. But now there is probability that it will be promulgated within next 48 hours. The coming weekend is very crucial,” sources claimed.
There is a strong perception among the President’s aides that the SC’s verdict will be overwhelmingly against President Musharraf, hence the planning to impose emergency and PCO in order to disable the judiciary which most political analysts believe will not solve President Musharraf’s problems. The relations between the judiciary and executive turned sour after the former had given a number of decisions which were embarrassing to the Presidency and the government.
The SC, which before was scheduled to give its verdict after November 15, is now keen to wrap up the case at the earliest to dispel the impression that it is delaying the announcement of the high-profile case on purpose.
There was also a perception in the Presidency that SC would give its decision after November 15 leaving behind the President with a very little options, as the assemblies would be no more there and the President too would be required to shed his uniform.
Meanwhile, while all is set to enforce emergency in the country, both the President and the Prime Minister are in unison to pursue their remaining agenda as per schedule. Both of them want to hold elections on time, introduce caretaker set-up from November 15 with the dissolution of the present assemblies. Even the President is ready to shed his uniform by November 15.
The top PML leadership too supports the imposition of emergency in the country. Those who favour emergency include the Chaudhrys and party stalwarts like Humayun Akhtar, Ejazul Haq, Sheikh Rashid and Hamid Nasir Chattha while interestingly people like SM Zafar and Manzoor Wattoo oppose the idea of emergency. They supported the idea of emergency for the time being during the recent meeting of party’s elite Policy Planning Group. They, not only supported emergency, but unlike the President and the Prime Minister, also wished to delay the polls as well. They even advised the President not to shed his uniform by November 15.
Their keenness to delay elections is understandable. With the return of Benazir Bhutto and possible return of Nawaz Sharif their prospects in the coming elections are not very bright. The chances of any understanding between PML-N and PML are also next to impossible despite efforts to entice the Sharifs.
Sources claimed that emergency was likely to be enforced through an act of parliament for which National Assembly would be convened. While the National Assembly will continue to function for an extended period, the provincial assemblies will go and Governor rule will be imposed in the provinces.
Nation - 3rd November 2007
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