Constitution suspended; Supreme Court judges taken away before vote on president's fate

When I first saw this headline, my immediate thought was: OMG, Bush and Cheney have staged a coup and are seeking set up a dictatorship!!!!

Then I saw that it was a story about Pakistan. Obviously, if Pakistan is on the verge of having all Hell break loose, the mess in the Middle East created by the Chimperator will get even worse. Funny how I thought Chimpy said our goal was to develop democracy. This does not sound like that to me. Here are Fox News highlights:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday ahead of a crucial Supreme Court ruling on his future as president, suspending the constitution, replacing the chief justice and cutting communications in the capital. Pakistan's main opposition leader, Benezir Bhutto, flew back to the country from Dubai after visiting family and was sitting in an airplane at Karachi's airport, waiting to see if she would be arrested or deported, a spokesman said. Reports said around 100 paramilitary troops surrounded her house.

Seven Supreme Court judges immediately came out against the emergency, which suspended the current constitution. Police blocked entry to the Supreme Court building and later took the chief justice and other judges away in a convoy, witnesses said. "The chief of army staff has proclaimed a state of emergency and issued a provisional constitutional order," a newscaster on state Pakistan TV said, adding that Musharraf would address the nation later Saturday. The government halted all television transmissions in major cities other than state-controlled Pakistan TV. Telephone service in the capital, Islamabad, was cut.

A copy of the emergency order obtained by The Associated Press justified the declaration on the grounds that "some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive" and "weakening the government's resolve" to fight terrorism. The U.S. and other Western allies urged Musharraf this week not to declare martial law or an emergency that would jeopardize the country's transition to democracy. Crucial parliamentary elections meant to restore civilian rule are due by January.

The emergency was expected to be followed by arrests of lawyers and other perceived opponents of the government, including civil society activists and possibly even members of the judiciary itself, a ruling party lawmaker said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Private Geo TV reported that the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan, had been arrested. He was a lawyer for Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, whom Musharraf tried and failed to oust this spring, sparking a popular movement against military rule. Geo also reported that the chief justice had been told that "his services were no longer required."