Pakistan - an ongoing emergency
Pakistani politics is in crisis
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Thursday, 22, May 2008 12:00
Pakistan remains in a state of deep political instability as the fallout from last November's state of emergency continues.
Re-elected
Three issues dominated the approach to parliamentary elections in autumn last year: whether Gen Musharraf should be allowed to continue as head of the army; whether he should be allowed to continue at all; and what cost Pakistan was paying for the current turbulence.
All seemed to be going well on the middle point. Despite the apparent collapse of power-sharing talks with opposition figurehead and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, lawmakers comfortably voted Gen Musharraf into power on October 6th. Then a problem emerged: it became clear that the supreme court might uphold petitions declaring his candidacy unlawful.
The answer was simple. After declaring the emergency on November 5th at the beginning of November, which saw the suspension of civil liberties and Pakistan's constitution, Gen Musharraf sacked unsympathetic judges and replaced them with others. The supreme court dismissed all but one of the petitions on November 19th.
Nov 19th: Musharraf cleared for election
A civilian president?
His army uniform, however, remained deeply in doubt. Gen Musharraf had pledged as early as September 18th to step down as army chief for his second term, but the announcement was thrown into doubt by the supreme court permitting him his uniform back ten days later.
Any previous plans seemed to go up in smoke with the state of emergency announcement, but the threat of international sanctions appeared to rush matters. Elections initially scheduled for February were put forward to January and Gen Musharraf - now Mr Musharraf - finally surrendered his army role on November 28th. The state of emergency was formally lifted on December 15th.
Dec 15th: Musharraf ends emergency rule
Violence and reprisals
The cost of the political turmoil showed itself in further violence throughout the autumn and winter. Over 250 fighters were killed in intense clashes between Islamic militants and army forces in the north-western border region in early October. More than 130 people died from two car bombs as Ms Bhutto arrived from exile on October 18th. And at least 50 were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in the north-west of the country on December 21st.
Dec 21st: 50 dead in Pakistan blasts
Assassination
All these incidents had terrible significance politically, but none had the impact of the successful attempt on Ms Bhutto's life on December 27th.
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Doubts were expressed about the precise cause of death, leading Mr Musharraf to accept British offers sending investigators to probe the killing.
Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's party chose her son, 19-year-old Oxford University student Bilawal, as her successor and opted to continue contesting the impending January 8th elections.
But further violence in the wake of the assassination, which resulted in over 50 deaths during the first week alone, forced the Pakistani election commission to delay the polls until February 18th.
New coalition threatens Musharraf
The postponed parliamentary elections took place on February 18th without major disruption.
But the death toll was still substantial, with 47 people killed in one incident at a political rally on February 16th alone.
Nawaz Sharif's Pakistani Muslim League (PML-N) and the Pakistani People's party, formerly led by assassinated Benazir Bhutto, swept to dominance and agreed to enter into a coalition together on March 9th.
Coalition troubles
Pervez Musharraf was upbeat on March 23rd, pledging to work with the government of assassinated former opponent Benazir Bhutto.
Her Pakistan People's party (PPP) chose Yousuf Raza Gilani as the new prime minister two days later. He immediately released former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and 60 other judges placed under house arrest by Mr Musharraf last autumn.
Both the PPP and its coalition partner, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, pledged to reinstate the judges who were replaced as Mr Musharraf sought to confirm another term in power.
They divided over key details in late April, however, leaving the government effectively paralysed. Last autumn's state of emergency continues its legacy of instability.
Click here for a look back at Pakistan's turbulent 2007.