Protests, Political Turmoil Grip Pakistan (Fears of Government Collapse)

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Source: Washington Post

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 11 -- Political turmoil deepened Wednesday and Pakistanis braced for violence as opponents of President Asif Ali Zardari prepared to lead a massive protest march toward the capital this week, while police arrested hundreds of opposition activists and the government banned public assemblies in major cities.

Many Pakistanis said they feared the conflict could bring the year-old civilian government to the brink of collapse, and some said it could revive the specter of army intervention in the nuclear-armed nation of 160 million, which recently emerged from military rule and faces a growing threat from violent Islamic extremists.

The protest march, long planned by Pakistani lawyers as a peaceful action to demand the reinstatement of the deposed Supreme Court chief justice, has been overtaken by a personal and partisan brawl between Zardari, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, and top leaders of the rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

All this week, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been exhorting supporters at large rallies across the country to take to the streets and carry out a "revolution" against Zardari, whom he has accused of being more dictatorial than Pakistan's previous military ruler, retired army Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

"We can change history in seven days," Sharif, who heads the major Muslim League faction, told a cheering crowd in Abbotabad, a city in northwestern Pakistan. "The future of Pakistan is bleak, and the constitution is being violated. The whole country is in the process of disintegration."

In response, officials have launched a nationwide crackdown aimed at preventing marchers from reaching the capital. Television footage Wednesday showed activists being dragged into police vans, and dozens of senior figures in the Muslim League and legal community were placed under house arrest. Others fled their homes and hid from the authorities.

Government officials said they had no choice but to stop the march, blaming Sharif for inciting the public to violent rebellion and warning that terrorists might infiltrate the demonstrations. They said they were still open to reconciliation.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/11/AR2009031100440.html?hpid=topnews

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1. MORE: Zardari fights back, plots counter-coup?

Pakistan media on Wednesday (March 11) is rife with reports of President Asif Ali Zardari planning a counter-coup against Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. Reports claim Zardari plans to bring his choice of generals to the top of the Pakistan Army to strengthen his grip on power.

The development, according to sources, follows the Pakistan Army Chief asking President Zardari to resolve persistent political crisis within days. Insiders say quiet efforts have already begun to push Zardari’s choice of generals to the top. The buzz in the Presidency is that Zardari is in a hurry and is already privately meeting some generals who will retire soon.

At least three uniformed officers have been seen visiting the Presidency at odd hours, like 3 AM. One of these three generals has been military secretaries to three previous Prime Ministers and this link is said to be the key. The Pakistan Army is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders, the security of administered territories and defending the national interests of Pakistan within the framework of its international obligations.

Meanwhile, reports suggest President Zardari’s advisors have told him to consider repealing the 17th amendment and move to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. By doing this, Zardari will call Sharif's bluff isolating him prior to the long march. Zardari could then take over as Prime Minister and at the same time the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would prevent the Chief Justice from actually taking over by ensuring the defeat of the bill in Parliament.

The ruling PPP and the Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League are engaged in wrangling that could well see another intervention by the Army. Sharif on Wednesday dared the Zardari Government in a rally addressed in Abbottabad, saying that the latter has been responsible for all the on-going trouble in Pakistan.

http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=31745

[tekisui]

2. MORE: Pak tottering on edge of change of regime or Army rule?

Islamabad, Mar.11 (ANI): Fears of return of military rule or a change of regime in Pakistan gained momentum on Wednesday after a report in Fox News indicated a source as telling it that President Asif Ali Zardari, who is in Tehran for a regional economic conference and is expected to proceed to his former home in exile Dubai.

The rumour mill went into overdrive after Pakistan Army chief Kayani met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to discuss the volatile political situation in the country, and the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Robert Brinkleys meeting with Gilani offering Britains help to find a way out of the political impasse brought about by the stand-off between Nawaz Sharif and Zardari over the restoration of judges issue, that has all but paralysed governance over the past few weeks.

On Tuesday, matters to ahead after the PPP branded Nawazs call for revolution as a mutiny and subsequently ordered a crackdown on officials and supporters of PML-N and in bid to halt the threatened to long march of lawyers to Islamabad to demand the restoration of judges, which has been Sharifs major demand since return of civilian rule in Pakistan.

Addressing a massive rally today, Sharif called upon people to overthrow the disastrous regime of Zardari, whom he claimed was leading Pakistan towards destruction.

According to the Fox News report, if the situation deteriorated further, a reluctant army could also become involved and call for the government itself to be replaced. Constitutionally the chairman of the Senate would then become acting president and call elections.

While there has been no official confirmation of the severity of the crisis from official sources, the next 48 hours may prove to be decisive in Pakistans chequered history as a democracy. (ANI)

http://www.littleabout.com/2009/03/11/pak-tottering-on-edge-of-change-of-regime-or-army-rule/

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3. MORE: Pak media speculates on 'army stepping in' amid political chaos

slamabad (PTI): As the ruling PPP and the main Opposition PML-N have "virtually declared the doors of reconciliation shut," the Pakistani media on Tuesday blamed the political parties and their self-serving leaders for the chaos in the country amid speculation of the "possibility of the army stepping in".

"A cursory look at what has been going on for the last couple of months would strengthen the perception that the major political adversaries are overtaken by the Thanatos, or death wish," The Nation newspaper said in an editorial "Democracy in crisis".

In an editorial, "A bad omen", the Post said "the doors of reconciliation between the PPP and PML-N are now close" and political situation seems to have further deteriorated".

"It now seems that the situation is beyond anyone’s control and a domino effect set in," it stressed. Political tensions in Pakistan has increased with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif openly asking people to come to the streets and the Government warning the former prime minister that his anti-government speeches amounted to sedition.

"Now that the two mainstream parties have virtually declared the doors of reconciliation shut, commentators are already talking of the possibility of the army stepping in 'to bring the country back to normal', the Daily Times newspaper said on Tuesday.

It said the "politicians would be to blame" if the "the army is compelled to step in".

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200903102175.htm

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4. Ah. The plot thickens.......

Bin Laden with nukes. Nice.

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5. Tomorrow could be the start of the last chapter of Pakistan.

Frightening times.

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7. India WILL have to do something terrible out of self preservation....

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6. Kick, this will become THE story at some point in the future.

Some Pakistani media outlets are already asking if the US will have to go in to protect the nukes. This is going to be a serious problem, so we should pay it some attention.

[cliffordu]

9. Yep - K&R

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8. MORE: Nawaz provokes masses against govt

JHELUM: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Monday urged the masses to take part in the March 12 long march and sit-in in Islamabad and be ready to offer sacrifices for bringing a revolution in the country. Addressing an emotionally charged rally here on Monday, Nawaz Sharif said time had come and the people should come on streets to change their destiny. He asked the people to take part in the long march of lawyers if they wanted to change their fate.

more: http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ts&nid=4300#

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10. k