Islamabad, Nov 3
ANI
No sooner the
emergency was announced in Pakistan, troops took positions at vital places in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.Troops have encircled the Supreme Court building where judges are reportedly inside it.
Private Television news channels have been blacked out from most of the city, and the troops have taken control of all the state run media and TV stations. Mobile phones and telephone landlines are not working in various cities, according to reports.
Cable TV news providers in Islamabad confirmed that the authorities were blocking transmissions of private news channels in Islamabad, the Dawn reported. Earlier, martial law was imposed in Pakistan once again in the country's sixtieth year of its formation.
The state-run television PTV announced that President Pervez Musharraf has issued a provisional constitutional order, declaring emergency in the country. Musharraf, who is expected to address the nation tonight, earlier attended a high level meeting with his top aides where the decision to impose emergency was taken up.
The imposition comes amidst growing rise of extremists and militants in the country, particularly in its tribal region, and the political turmoil gripping the country.
The Supreme Court was expected to deliver its verdict on the validity of Musharraf's presidential candidature in the October 6 presidential polls.
Many analysts had predicted that fear of an unfavourable verdict from the apex court might trigger Musharraf to declare emergency, a decision not finding favour from the US. (ANI)
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