Islamabad in chaos, martial law imminent

[Srirangan]

The info Sir i have is from an Indian newspaper. Something "Economic in the title".

The source is prolly NYT again. They had a story last week titled "Musharraf: One Bullet Away" .. or something similar. (Link posted on IDF)

A few names came up, one of them was General Hyat Ahsan and a pro US President (name starting with 'm'). Speculative piece, so didn't give much importance to it when a colleague passed it on to me.

 

[Awesome]

Well, if this is actually they case, then the two obvious questions are "Who?" and "Why?".

Could it be the pro taliban extremist group that is opposing Akhund's arrest and the recent shift in Pakistan's afghan policy favouring Hekmatyar?

Or is it the more over ground opposition, the likes of Bhutto and Nawaz's political parties?

Or could it be the U.S. lobby pulling strings to pressurize Musharraf?

Three candidates I could think of. The first one seems most likely to me (personally!).

These are very educated an civilized people in the mix of all the trouble. Not your usual run of the mill Mullah. The arrests of Qazi Hussain and all the other big bearded ones no one cares about. But the attack on the protesting lawyers, the Chief Justice, Geo freakin news! These are institutions that religious parties or organizations don't have much control over. They are very small players compared to BB and NS.

BB is strangely very silent. She gave ONE statement that too when all three exiles came on air one by one, starting with Altaf's theatrics, then the usual hypocrisy by Nawaz Sharif (who btw stormed the Supreme court using thugs and really doesn't even deny it) and then much later it was BB.

BB's PPPP is still the largest political party in Pakistan, even bigger than PML-Q.

BUT, she can't pull off something like this. The Punjab police, which has no jurisdiction to conduct operations in the capital (federal territory) cannot go ahead on orders from her and storm a new network in Isloo and then not even do anything like stop transmission, just act like thugs and break windows and furniture and lathi charge reporters and then come out and chant slogans "Punjab police, Zindabad" (wtf?)... If the DSP hadn't come on TV and tried to defend his police's actions I would be half convinced they were thugs in police clothes!

America? Punjab police is dirt cheap to buy. On the streets they accept bribes of 50 rupees man. Now someone with enough balls to take on Musharraf has done this, is my take. They want him out. Pakistan recently (yesterday, day before) gave its final rejection to the US on supporting it in an attack against Iran. The writing on the wall is clear, Musharraf is no longer playing to US tunes.

I'm so sad about all this.

Musharraf today also announced that elections would be held this year (as opposed to jan 2008). Rift with PML-Q? The whole reason Musharraf took on CJ is on the insistence of PML-Q, which has its stronghold in Punjab. The entire Punjab police hiring scandal was orchestrated with Chowdhary Pervez Elahi, who is hiring sifarishi officers. The Chief Justice was predicted to gave an unfavorable sentence in the case of 45 members of PML-Q elected officials who hold fake degrees and are in power.

So what these government officials did was for the past several months they kept giving the CJ son, undue favors. Promotions, new trainings, bonuses, etc. Now when they had enough dirt on his son, they made up a story that the CJ used his position to get him all that. I mean hey Isay even if he did, big freakin deal. A little waasta isn't much of a crime, you know. But it was an excuse to get rid of him. Shaukat Aziz suggested requested to remove the CJ on a presidential order whereas it should've gone through the Judicial comittee. Since Judiciary is technically above the President of Pakistan as well. The crime was not so severe that it warranted a Presidential order.

Musharraf really has to be an idiot to think this would play in his favor... I think he's been played and by people very close to him... Starting with Probably either Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q or Shaukat Aziz too.

 

[Awesome]

They dont like Musharraf anymore. CNN said Members of Pakistani Parliament also arrested, restrictions on media reporting are in effect. Things dont look good. There was Ayaz Amir on the telefone with CNN-IBN, he said some people were injured in police attack on GEO premises.

The arrested politicians basically are all MMA types. They tried a cheap stunt when all this was going on. They held a big congregation infront of Musharraf's Presidential house. Then held the friday prayers then. And then Qazi Hussain tried to break through the Police barricade infront of Musharraf's house. That was a justified arrest if you ask me.

 

[Awesome]

I've kinda changed my mind now... I really hope Musharraf doesn't give in to the pressure of imposing Martial law. They are doing all this to get him to impose martial law. Then someone in the Army who might be serving a double purpose would have justification to orchestrate a coup.

He should hold is ground. Sack Pervaiz Elahi for the Geo News incident. Let the judiciary handle the case for the CJ and reverse his presidential order of sacking him, turn it into a suspension pending a decision from the Supreme Court.

 

[Awesome]

Awesome! I just learnt Chaudhary Shujaat is in Washington!!!!!!!

This now seems to me as a PML-Q/US backed Coup attempt.

 

[Lahori paa jee]

Awesome! I just learnt Chaudhary Shujaat is in Washington!!!!!!!

This now seems to me as a PML-Q/US backed Coup attempt.

Its the PML-Q(urban) league a creation of Mush.

 

[Lahori paa jee]

The situation has just gone from bad to worse.

As I post this right now the Geo News station is being stormed by the police to stop the broadcast. They were broadcasting people pelting stones onto the police... They are now being fired upon with tear gas. The reporters had barricaded themselves in and were refusing to leave the news room.

Hamid Mir, speaking on phone to Geo TV in Karachi was giving minute by minute report of the police is attack. He himself got into a fight with them. Then suddenly the Geo TV newscaster told Hamid Mir to save himself and get everyone out of harms way.

The government has just fallen from grace, IMHO. I know what Mushy would do. He's going to sack Shaukat Aziz and pin everything on him. Since this chief justice issue started with Shaukat Aziz and his issues. There is Chaos in the nations capital. Back home in Lahore, laborers have started to not show up.

IMO Martial law is imminent... No other way to restore calm. Shaukat Aziz would go if not Musharraf and that would mean even bigger chaos, so martial law should be imposed for 2-3 days and let things chill out before we are left without an identifiable leader.

Attack on Geo TV is a joint plan of the government and the jang group. To divert peoples attention from attack on Judiciary to an attack on Press. For the next few days every channel will be discussing freedom of press rather than suspension of CJ

I you want i can quote examples from past where such diversion tactics have worked wonders.

 

[sword9]

Attack on Geo TV is a joint plan of the government and the jang group. To divert peoples attention from attack on Judiciary to an attack on Press. For the next few days every channel will be discussing freedom of press rather than suspension of CJ

I you want i can quote examples from past where such diversion tactics have worked wonders.

On the contrary the attack on GEO TV has put Musharraf on the backfoot. However, I do not think that the attack was a diversionary tactic, but it was a culmination of the effords to silence GEO TV since the past 4 days.

If Hamid Mir is to be believed, as he says that they had been getting warnings to curb broadcasts on the CJ sacking issue since the past 4-5 days, and ultimately the govt tried to silence them by sending in the police. I saw the coverage on TV and it was disgraceful.

 

[kidwaibhai]

It was disgracefull but i think it is cooling down. They are now catching the guys who did this so in a few days i think this will all be over. when musharraf apalogised i think he greatly contained the sitaution.
Secondly there is already a General in charge so in essence martial law is already imposed

 

[KashifAsrar]

Awesome! I just learnt Chaudhary Shujaat is in Washington!!!!!!!

This now seems to me as a PML-Q/US backed Coup attempt.

But three days back a news that I posted in the thread that Uncle SAM is headeing for change in Pakistan government, it went to the TRASH CAN ! No body paid any attention to the news. Now where your speculation should land ASIM.
Kashif

 

[Srirangan]

Interesting theory Asim. Certainly could be a possibility, especially because U.S. grumbled all through the last 3-4 months over the Afghan 'spring offensive' and sanctuary Taliban etc.

But doesn't the PML Q lose out if Mushy is ousted. The only reason PML Q is in power is because Musharraf endorsed it.

BB & NS are a distinct possibility. But I really think it could be the pro Taliban elements who are behind this. Mushy upped the ante so to speak against the Taliban, especially after the Cheney visit. Also, wasn't Akhund arrested much to the dislike of pro Taliban tribes/groups?

 

[Srirangan]

Of course am basing my argument on the assumption that U.S. doesn't really need Pakistan to go after Iran. A map of Iran and neighboors will justify my assumption.

 

[KashifAsrar]

I also hold the view that Uncle can go after IRAN without support from Pakistan. But my guess is that Pakistan would be required in a critical way in 'Post-War' scenario to make sure that uncle face minimum problem in Iran after invading it. Shia muslims in Pakistan would be a major concern! Moreover paklistan would be required to 'SAFE-GAURD' (in Uncle's hands of course) its nuclear assets, so that in future no 'MUSLIM-TERRORIST STATE' get hand to it, including 'PAKISTAN' herself.
kashif

 

[Bull]

you know bull even i was thinking this might be some type of cold war behind the scenes play in which the U.S vs the Russia/china angle fits in Russia needs India back on its backyard they lost Iraq , Afghanistan to U.S Libya is as good as dead their might be a strategic game at play

I dont blame the CIA or ISI for the **** happening in India. It sheer mismanagement that has caused these situations in nandigram and Chatisgarh.

I think the CJ sacking was ill timed and wrongly executed.

 

[Awesome]

Attack on Geo TV is a joint plan of the government and the jang group. To divert peoples attention from attack on Judiciary to an attack on Press. For the next few days every channel will be discussing freedom of press rather than suspension of CJ

I you want i can quote examples from past where such diversion tactics have worked wonders.

Hmmm attack on press is of a greater concern than the suspension of the CJ who has charges against him AND is also getting the benefit of a trial.

Attack on Press is straightforward gunda gardi!

That's the way I see it. Diversionary tactics? CJ is still the top issue man... No diversion has been made... Just confusion on who was behind the attacks. I think the government (PML-Q side) did it.

Sword, Hamid Mir, spoke with Musharraf on air over the phone hours after the attacks. Hamid Mir himself admitted that the police though was claiming to silence Geo News did nothing of the sort, it mere kept breaking windows and furniture. Tamasha.

There was no way Geo could have been silenced and why do it? Geo aint the only telecasting this. ARY simply never stopped its broadcasts at all! ARY operates from Dubai and London so they pretty much showed everything and said everything. ARY is also a lot more anti-Musharraf compared to Geo which always presents both the point of views.