“President General Pervez Musharraf told foreign diplomats based in Islamabad on Monday that despite the imposition of a state of emergency in the country, transition to full democracy would be completed soon.” Dawn
“US takes a hit from Pakistan’s turmoil.” US News & World Report
“The real cause for concern is that the UK will deludedly believe that a military dictatorship offers a better bulwark against the Jihadists than a democratic government.” The Guardian UK
“Bhutto may regret her gamble on Musharraf.” Taipei Times
Story Transcript
Reactions to Pakistan state of emergency
GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN PRESIDENT, ISLAMABAD: I am determined to execute this third stage of transition fully, and I’m determined to remove my uniform once we correct these pillars. The judiciary and the executive and the parliament, legislative, I can assure you there will be harmony. There’ll be harmony. Confidence will come back into government, into law enforcement agencies. And Pakistan will start moving again on the same track as we were moving.
GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.: We made it clear to the president that we would hope he wouldn’t have declared the emergency powers he declared. Now that he’s made that decision, our hope now is that he hurry back to elections. And at the same time, we want to continue working with him to fight these terrorists and extremists who not only tried to kill him but used parts of his country from which to launch attacks into Afghanistan and/or are plotting attacks on America.
DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, LONDON: Time is now for Musharraf to be absolutely clear that elections will go ahead on January 15 on a free and fair basis, that he will indeed resign as the head of the army by November 15, that the arrests of political prisoners will now be reversed and that they will be released, and that the restrictions on the media that have been brought in will be stopped and reversed, restrictions including on the BBC.
BENAZIR BHUTTO, FORMER PAKISTAN PM, KARACHI (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): We demand the government to release arrested lawyers immediately. This is not the way to resolve the issue. There must be some political way to solve this out peacefully. Attack on AAJ TV and notices to newspapers is an open press censorship. That’s why we argue that the suspension of the constitution is not in the national interest. If General Musharraf wants to defuse crisis as soon as possible then there must be constitutional revival and the nation must be assured of the national election dates when it would start and complete. There must also be a date from him, to resign as army chief. These are our demands and we understand this, that the current situation will be defused as long as these minimum points are addressed.
Story Transcript
Reactions to Pakistan state of emergency
GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN PRESIDENT, ISLAMABAD: I am determined to execute this third stage of transition fully, and I’m determined to remove my uniform once we correct these pillars. The judiciary and the executive and the parliament, legislative, I can assure you there will be harmony. There’ll be harmony. Confidence will come back into government, into law enforcement agencies. And Pakistan will start moving again on the same track as we were moving.
GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.: We made it clear to the president that we would hope he wouldn’t have declared the emergency powers he declared. Now that he’s made that decision, our hope now is that he hurry back to elections. And at the same time, we want to continue working with him to fight these terrorists and extremists who not only tried to kill him but used parts of his country from which to launch attacks into Afghanistan and/or are plotting attacks on America.
DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, LONDON: Time is now for Musharraf to be absolutely clear that elections will go ahead on January 15 on a free and fair basis, that he will indeed resign as the head of the army by November 15, that the arrests of political prisoners will now be reversed and that they will be released, and that the restrictions on the media that have been brought in will be stopped and reversed, restrictions including on the BBC.
BENAZIR BHUTTO, FORMER PAKISTAN PM, KARACHI (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): We demand the government to release arrested lawyers immediately. This is not the way to resolve the issue. There must be some political way to solve this out peacefully. Attack on AAJ TV and notices to newspapers is an open press censorship. That’s why we argue that the suspension of the constitution is not in the national interest. If General Musharraf wants to defuse crisis as soon as possible then there must be constitutional revival and the nation must be assured of the national election dates when it would start and complete. There must also be a date from him, to resign as army chief. These are our demands and we understand this, that the current situation will be defused as long as these minimum points are addressed.
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