The CJ is free to meet with lawyers and politicians who are coming to visit him after the ordeal, and he has been put on "forced leave" by the General based on a law passed in 1971. So now the CJ stands suspended before he was even found guilty of the allegations against him.
Meanwhile the Black Coat protests continue and the police have been firing tear gas at them and turning what should be peaceful rallies into chaotic street fighthing scenes.
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Folks - There is so much going in our own country that we might have overlooked (at least the media has) the events taking place in Pakistan. The situation in a nutshell is as follows.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan ("CJ") had been indulging in what right wingers like to call "judicial activism". He had blocked the sales of Steel Mills of Pakistan (a Govt. owned entity) to a private company, as according to him the government had shown "indecent haste" in selling off assets. The well founded concern was that the hand picked Prime Minister's friend was involved in the deal and that it was being sold below market value. Now, we all know Pakistan is a poor country, and to sell its assets to a private company at a discount is not wise from an economic perspective.
The other bone of contention between the CJ and the General-President Mushaaraf was that CJ was being written to by mothers and other family members of the disappeared. Yes, people are disappearing in Pakistan as well, so the CJ took Suo Moto action on the cases where he would order the head of intelligence Agencies and police to basically habeas corpus. Another move Mr. Musharrf did not like.
In his regular style, he donned his military fatigues, summoned the CJ to his residence and asked him to resign. Much to his Dismay the CJ had cojones the size of Afghan mountains, and he refused. So, Mr. Musharraf filed (still sealed) references against the CJ, and the CJ was placed under house arrest, where even his lawyers were not allowed to meet him. His cable, internet, phones, newspapers all were disconnected. So much so that even his children (youngest is 7) are not being allowed to go to school.
The lawyers did not take kindly to this and they started marching on the streets. Yes - the lawyers are good for something, somewhere. Much to Mr. Musharrafs surprise, they were followed by the political parties and leadership at large. Mass arrests and baton charges ensued. a TV station covering the events was attacked and media is being threatened daily to not report on the matter. Mushraaraf quarantined the capital and many political activists and lawyers have been rounded up. Even an ex president of Pakistan (who was once also a Chief Justice) is in custody.
Folks - for years Musharraf has made everyone here believe that he is the only "moderate" leader in Pakistan. Those of us who know Pakistan or Pakistanis know that is not true. Here is the proof. The Black Coats are Marching (the lawyers all have to wear black coats and ties in Pakistan) - and they are being supported by throngs who are fighting for the separation of powers doctrine and the rule of law. These throngs include lots of political leaders and potential leaders as well.
I just wanted you guys to know and to see if you would be willing to support their right to peacefully protest, and for the CJ to get an open and fair hearing. No more of this secret tribunal business. A Democratic Pakistan is much better for the US and war against terror. Let Freedom Reign.
Here are some links if you wish to get a local perspective
http://www.dawn.com/...
http://www.dawn.com/...
If anyone has any doubts that Pakistan might fall into Fundamentailist hands if Musharraf were to depart; here is a link to the recent NYT article on the subject.
And a Quote from the article.
"While the Islamists would surely take power in any way possible, an examination of polling data and recent election results — however suspect in a less than democratic country — provides little evidence that Islamists have enough support to take over the country. If anything, they would likely control only select areas.
The last time Pakistan went to the polls in 2002, religious political parties received just 11 percent of the vote, compared with more than 28 percent won by the secular party led by Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister.
And that election may have even been a high-water mark for the Islamists, who were capitalizing on surging anti-American sentiment after the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Even though the Iraq war has also inflamed anti-Western attitudes, these sentiments do not seem to have translated into electoral gains for Islamist parties.
Islamist politicians received a drubbing in local elections in 2005, gaining less support than expected in their power base in the tribal areas. In September, a poll by the International Republican Institute, a respected organization affiliated with the Republican Party that helps build democratic institutions in foreign countries, found that just 5.2 percent of respondents would vote for the main religious party, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, in national parliamentary elections.
Although the poll found that this party was the most popular in Baluchistan, the southwestern province where Taliban support is strong, Islamist leaders lagged far behind both Mr. Musharraf and Ms. Bhutto, as well as another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. It is also thought to be unlikely that a successful attempt on Mr. Musharraf’s life would mean wholesale changes to the power structure of Pakistani politics. "
If you wish to help the Democratic forces in Pakistan please contact
American Bar Association
http://www.abanet.org/...
and North American South Asian Bar Association.
http://www.na-saba.org/...
and please ask them to proclaim their support for the Pakistan Civil Society that is struggling against a Dictatorship for seperation of power and the rule of law.