The combined opposition on Saturday slammed President General Pervez Musharraf for declaring a state of emergency in the country and holding the Constitution in abeyance, and vowed to resist the “unconstitutional move taken by him to prolong his rule”.Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal denounced the imposition of emergency as “high treason” by the president and said it had been declared to stop the Supreme Court from annulling Musharraf’s presidency.
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Liaquat Baloch also denounced the proclamation of emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), saying the move was destructive for the country. He said the president had taken the step to clip the judiciary’s powers. Tehrik-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan said the declaration of emergency would not help the country fight terrorism, but would push it towards a situation similar to civil war. He said the president had committed “treason” and usurped the rights of 160 million people for his personal gain.
He appealed to the public to come out onto the streets to defy a “military dictator’s unconstitutional act”. He urged political forces to forget their differences and rise as one against Musharraf. Babar Awan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) strongly criticised President Musharraf for declaring emergency in the country and termed it an extra-constitutional move. “It is martial law in the garb of emergency, which has abrogated the Constitution,” he said.