'Judicial activism, extremism for emergency'

ISLAMABAD: Hours after imposing emergency rule, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said increasing judicial activism and a spurt in terrorism and extremism had paralysed and demoralised the government prompting him to take the 'difficult' decision to save the nation from a 'dangerous' juncture.

"Pakistan is at a dangerous crossroads and the time has come for making difficult decisions," the military ruler said late last night in an address to the nation after he declared emergency suspending fundamental rights, including the freedom of the press, and the Constitution and banning political activities.

64-year-old Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless 1999 military coup, said he had seen his leadership threatened by an increasingly defiant court and rising Islamic militancy.     

"Extremists are openly roaming," he said, claiming that 61 terrorists have been freed on court orders, an apparent reference to a case that was spearheaded by now-deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftiqar M Chaudhary to press authorities over suspects held without charge by intelligence agencies.

"And no one knows whether any of the these freed men were behind recent bomb attacks," Musharraf said, adding the "government system in my view, is in semi-paralysis as all government functionaries are insulted by courts and law enforcing agencies punished by the judiciary, demoralising them."

"Why is there this state of affairs? Because of judicial activism, the clash (between the judiciary and) the executive and legislative arms and a paralysis in the working of the government" as senior officials are busy attending court cases, said Musharraf.

"If this action had not been taken, there would have been a threat to Pakistan's integrity and stability. Whatever I do and the decisions I have taken, they were based on Pakistan's founding principles and this will be my guiding principle."

The military ruler, speaking on state-run Pakistan TV, said he hoped democracy would be restored following Parliamentary elections due by January.

"But, in my eyes, I say with sorrow that some elements are creating hurdles in the way of democracy," said Musharraf, who was wearing civilian clothes and spoke firmly and calmly as he stared into the camera. "I think this chaos is being created for personal interests and to harm Pakistan."

Musharraf also said some independent TV channels, which were removed from the air after emergency was imposed, had contributed to the atmosphere of uncertainty in the country.

The General said a spate of suicide attacks, including the one on former Premier Benazir Bhutto's homecoming procession in Karachi, had resulted in extremists "walking around boldly" with no fear of the law enforcement agencies.

"The extremists don't fear law enforcement agencies and extremism has spread from Swat and the tribal areas to Islamabad, the heart of Pakistan. They are taking the writ of the government in their hands and want to run a parallel government. They want to impose a radical brand of Islam on moderate people," he said.

"This is a direct challenge to the government."

At the same time, Musharraf said, judicial activism had resulted in a "semi-paralysis" among top government functionaries, who were "making the rounds of courts, especially the Supreme Court, where they were getting punished or being humiliated."

Musharraf said there were some 100 suo motu cases in the apex court that concerned the executive. The law enforcement agencies had "lost hope" and were demoralised as officers were being given prison terms or suspended by the courts for their actions.

These issues, he claimed, had become obstacles in the transition to civilian democracy.

Musharraf said he had drawn up a three-phased plan for the transition to democracy. The first phase was the period between 1999 and 2002 when he was in power while the second phase during 2002-07 saw him overseeing an elected government as President and Army chief. The third phase envisaged the holding of a presidential poll and a general election in the coming months.

"I had hoped there would be reconciliation and a transition to full democracy and I wanted to take this process forward," he said.

"But some elements were interfering in this process, they were impeding it and not allowing it go forward. This would have affected Pakistan."