PML chief denies imposition of emergency

Islamabad, Aug 9 (UNI) President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain today ruled out imposition of emergency in the country.

''Emergency is not being imposed,'' he said in Islamabad while describing reports in the print and electronic media on the issue as ''only rumours.'' Talking to reporters, he also strongly dispelled reports signalling possible imposition of martial law in the country.

''Elections will not be delayed and held as per schedule,'' said Hussain, who had himself indicated possiblity of emergency being declared in the country, while talking to a group of his party's parliamentarians in Islamabad yesterday.

Rumours were rife in the capital since last night that the proclamation of emergency, which the President has already signed, may be issued sometime today.

However, sources close to the President told UNI that Musharraf had been averse to breaking his commitment that he made to the people repeatedly that ''there would be no emergency in the country and elections would be held on time.'' They said that not for a single moment since last evening did the President agree to declare a state of emergency in the country despite insistence by some of the top government officials.

The interaction with the top government officials, legal aides and some senior military officials was aimed at reviewing the current political and security scenario with particlar focus on options available to the government to deal with the situation in an effective manner.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Supreme Court today took up identical petitions by former Premier Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif challenging their seven-year exile, amid reports of a possible imposition of emergency.

Leading opposition parties and alliances including the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and Islamist conglomerate Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), expressed serious reservations on reported move to impose emergency.

They said it was an attempt to prevent return of Sharif brothers, pave way for his re-election for the second term and to postpone the 2008 parliamentary elections.

''Imposition of emergency will destablise the country and dampen chances for retoration of demoracy in the country,'' former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, whose Pakistan Peoples Party is one of the main component parties of the ARD along with Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, said.

The two-member bench headed by the reinstated Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard appeals filed by Sharif brothers earlier this month challenging their exile and seeking a verdict that will allow them to return to Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif went in exile along with his family in December 2000 for ten years as a result of an understanding reached between royal Saudi and Pakistani government, almost a year after he was overthrown in a bloodless military coup.

''This is Sharif's unconditional and unequivocal right to return to the country and take part in politics being a Pakistani citizen, holding the national passport,'' his counsel Fakharuddin G. Ibrahim told the court.

He said this is for the constitution to decide whether Sharif could return to the country or not.

''We are concerned with future of parliamentary democracy in the country, which cannot be undone by a gentleman in uniform,'' Ibrahim said in reference to Musharraf.

Later, talking to reporters, Ibrahim also ruled out imposition of emergency by saying he did not see any reasons for emergency to be declared.

Local media reports said that the speculation about emergency was also fuelled by the prospect of an early return home of exiled former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif and its impact on the political climate in the country where many parliament members could switch loyalties and cloud Gen Musharraf's desire to get himself elected as president for another term from the present assemblies.

UNI