Pakistan's government is committed to holding national elections but is undecided when, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Sunday, a day after it imposed emergency rule to deal with rising militancy and a hostile judiciary.

 

Soldiers set up bunkers and barricades with sandbags near the Supreme Court in Islamabad yesterday, a day after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. AFP

 

"We are committed to making sure that elections are held and that democratic process flourishes in Pakistan," Aziz told a news conference. "As a result of what has happened, there could be some timing differences but no decision has been made."

 

He said the emergency will last for as short a period as possible, adding that 400-500 people had been detained.

 

When asked to comment on the issue yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said China is concerned about the situation in Pakistan and hopes the country will maintain stability and development.

 

Earlier yesterday, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said he acted in response to rising Islamist militancy in nuclear-armed Pakistan and what he called a paralysis of government by judicial interference.

 

Musharraf, in a midnight televised address, said the country was in grave danger of becoming destabilized. "I cannot allow this country to commit suicide," he said after purging the Supreme Court of judges opposed to him and rounding up lawyers.

 

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday during a visit to the Middle East that Musharraf must affirm that elections will take place.

 

Chief justice sacked

 

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, suspended eight months ago by Musharraf and reinstated in July, was fired after refusing to take a fresh oath following the suspension of the constitution.

 

Pakistan Television said that the cabinet, national and provincial assemblies would continue to function and that Abdul Hameed Dogar had been appointed as new Chief Justice.

 

There were no troops or large numbers of police on the streets of Islamabad or other main cities, Karachi, Lahore or Peshawar, though the detentions were conducted in all of them.

 

Barricades blocked the main boulevard to the presidency building in Islamabad, where police arrested 40 opposition activists including a former chief of the army's Inter Services Intelligence agency, Hameed Gul, a supporter of Islamist causes.

 

Election time uncertain

 

Musharraf did not say how long the emergency would last, but said he still planned to move Pakistan to civilian-led democracy. He did not say when elections would take place.

 

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto flew back to Pakistan on Saturday from a brief visit to Dubai and accused Musharraf of imposing "mini-martial law" in a move to delay elections.

 

(China Daily November 5, 2007)