As many as 500 people have been arrested across Pakistan in a crackdown launched after the declaration of a state of emergency, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said yesterday.
Aziz further said that parliament was entitled to delay elections for a year under emergency rule imposed by President Pervez Musharraf, but added that the government had not yet made a decision.
"There have been 400 to 500 preventative arrests in the country," Aziz told a news conference in Islamabad, giving the first confirmed figure since Musharraf announced the emergency on Saturday.
PHOTO: AFP
The arrested activists include Javed Hashmi, acting chief of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party, leading rights activist Asma Jahangir and cricket legend-turned-politician Imran Khan.
On the subject of elections set for January, he told reporters: "There could be some timing difference on the election schedule but we have not decided yet."
"We are still deliberating. The parliament could give itself more time, up to a year, in terms of holding the next election," Aziz said.
"When we decide what the deliberations result in, we will certainly share it with you," he said.
The prime minister said the government was "committed to pursuing a parliamentary form of government" and added that he wanted the emergency to be over "without too much time being taken."
On Saturday, Musharraf accused the judiciary and Islamic militants of destabilizing the country and that he had acted to stop the nuclear-armed country from committing "suicide."
He appealed for understanding from the West.
The White House led global criticism of the emergency declaration, but Musharraf -- a key US ally in the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban -- insisted he had no choice.
The US called emergency rule "very disappointing," but said there was no plan to suspend military aid to Pakistan.
Police and paramilitary soldiers yesterday set up barricades and unrolled coils of barbed wire to block access to the parliament, presidential residence and Supreme Court buildings.
The security forces fanned out nearby and set up posts near the state-run radio headquarters, TV stations and luxury hotels. Shops were open but traffic was thin and markets were quiet.
Pakistani media were incensed by the developments.
"General Musharraf's second coup," said a headline in Dawn, referring to his first power grab in 1999, while the Daily Times said: "It is martial law."
"We are heading for a very uncertain time because this coup will be challenged by political parties. This will also build strain between him and the military," political analyst Hasan Askari said.
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who rushed home from Dubai on Saturday night, branded the emergency declaration an attempt to impose martial law, but did not rule out a proposed power-sharing deal.
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS