The combined opposition in Senate on Monday termed the imposition of emergency on November 3 as illegal, unconstitutional and extra-judicial, vowing to restore the Constitution in original after coming to power.
While debating on a motion moved by the opposition parties in the Upper House on the imposition of emergency in the country, the combined Opposition rejected the government's justification of the proclamation of emergency to protect the country from terrorism and economic crisis.
The opposition contended that it was imposed because of personal ambition of President Pervez Musharraf to perpetuate his rule by sacking the credible judiciary, which supposed to rule against his candidature for the presidency for the third term in uniform.
However, the caretaker Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Syed Afzal Haider without giving any solid justification to the imposition of emergency, stressed on the history of Pakistani parliaments and judiciary which time and again validated the emergencies and martial laws. He also said that on the recommendation of the caretaker cabinet, President Pervez Musharraf cut short the period of emergency, which according to him an unprecedented tradition in the Pakistani politics.
The Law Minister further said that since the emergency and PCO is no more in vogue and it should not be debated. Mian Raza Rabbani, the Opposition Leader in Senate said that the sole objective of imposition of emergency was to protect Pervez Musharraf from the then judiciary which was likely to decide against his candidature.
"If the President admits that there was serious law and order situation and economic crisis in the country then why he did not dismiss the government of Shaukat Aziz by exercising 58(2)b", he added.
He said that why Shaukat Aziz was given free-exit to flee the country as the government's version shows a clear cut charge-sheet against him and his government. Due to his hallow economic policies, there are cartels in every industries", he highlighted.
Rabbani demanded of the chair to summon the Advocate General of Pakistan in the House to explain his position that the next government would endorse the amendments introduced Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), saying that such extra-constitutional acts would not be identified.
Professor Khursheed Ahmed of MMA said that November 3, 2007 was the darkest day in the history of Pakistan as on that day Pakistan image was distorted internationally. He held President, then Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, governors and Corps Commanders equally responsible for the promulgation of emergency in the country.
"There was no justification to push the country towards the darkness by taking illegal and unconstitutional steps to save a single man. One man threw the Constitution into the dustbin considering it a piece of paper", he remarked.
He opined that emergency was imposed to destroy credible judiciary, saying that 53 out of 92 judges of the higher judiciary did not accept the extra-constitutional steps taken by the President on November 3.
Senator Raza Mohammad Raza of PONM vowed to punish the responsible people who either imposed or endorsed the emergency. He also held the Chief Election Commissioner and Judges who took the oath under PCO responsible for providing what he termed illegitimate and illegal opportunity to Musharraf to be come a candidate for Presidency for another term from the same electoral college.
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