Bhutto Says Emergency a 2nd Coup

Left: Benazir Bhutto addresses a news conference at her residence in Karachi, November 03, 2007.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has called General Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose emergency rule a coup. In an interview with CBS News Face the Nation on Sunday, Ms. Bhutto said Saturday's move was General Musharraf's "second coup" - referring to his 1999 overthrow of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Ms. Bhutto also said she is deeply concerned that extremists in Pakistan will try to manipulate the volatile situation.

The twice-serving former prime minister says her opposition party, Pakistan Peoples Party will protest what she has called "martial law."

Left: Benazir Bhutto had warned General Musharraf against imposing a state of emergency

Shortly after emergency rule was imposed Saturday, Ms. Bhutto said she would meet with other political leaders to discuss a strategy for reversing General Musharraf's suspension of the constitution.

Ms. Bhutto returned to her homeland from self-imposed exile in mid-October as the first step towards a power-sharing deal with the president, who has lifted old corruption charges against her.

The state of emergency shatters the proposed power-sharing deal between the president, General Pervez Musharraf, and Ms. Benazir Bhutto, who hammered out the US-backed compromise during secret talks in the Gulf.

"Instead of moving to democracy, we are going backwards towards greater dictatorship," Ms Bhutto said last night, after arriving in Karachi, where she was escorted to her home under heavy police guard.

"I agree with [Gen Musharraf] that we are facing a political crisis, but believe the problem is dictatorship. I don't believe the solution is dictatorship."

Since her return, Ms. Bhutto has become a fierce critic of the government and its handling of the October 18 attack that killed nearly 150 people and wounded hundreds more at her homecoming motorcade in Karachi.

I plan to meet with other leaders of political parties and discuss a course of action to reverse the suspension of the constitution. We very much want elections to be held on schedule, but unless the constitution provisions that have been suspended are restored it's going to be very difficult to have fair elections.

Left: Tehrik-e-Istaqlal Political Party Chairman, Air Marshall (Retired) Asghar Khan.

However, a report from Pakistan's thenews.com reveals that: Tehrik-e-Istaqlal (TI) Chairman -- an opposition political party -- Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan on Sunday alleged that PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto was in league with President General Pervez Musharraf with regard to the imposition of emergency in the country.

Mr. Kahn suggests the state of emergency had been imposed to further the American agenda on the war on terrorism in the region.

Ms Bhutto and President General Pervez Musharraf both support US interests and both are working together. Benazir Bhutto and general Musharraf are seen as the best combination by the West and the duo is now fooling the whole nation by staging mock confrontation.

The Hindu news, out of India, is reporting that "Benazir Bhutto was taken into confidence before the imposition of the state of emergency, according to a senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), leader.

The option of imposing emergency and leaving the country on the orders of presidential camp was the agreed upon conditions in the deal between Benazir and Musharraf," The News reported here on Sunday, quoting the PPP leader as saying. The unnamed figure in the PPP also flayed the party chairperson for entering into the "pact" with the military ruler.

The same PPP leader also said that hatred among some senior party leaders against the PPP’s leadership was increasing day by day.