Emergency to be lifted soon: Qayyum

Islamabad, Dec 15: Pakistan"s Attorney General Malik Qayyum has said that President Pervez Musharraf will issue a presidential order to lift the emergency by 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Musharraf would administer oath to Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in the afternoon, he said. The CJ would later administer oath to all the Supreme Court judges, Qayyum added. Qayyum also said that Musharraf would address the nation through state television and radio at around 8p.m. He said articles 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 25 of the Constitution, which had been suspended by the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), would be restored.

Qayyum said this marked the second time that Musharraf had amended the Constitution since he imposed emergency on November 3. The Daily Times quoted Qayyum as saying that the new order is a reinforcement of the earlier one, adding that the first order had been issued on November 21.

The judges who had not taken oath under the PCO would not be re-instated, he added. Pakistan remained under emergency rule and was run through the PCO for 42 days.

ANI>