It seems that things are heating up in Pakistan. Earlier this month, Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, ostensibly for “misuse of authority.” However, as noted in this BBC piece, the Chief Justice has “a reputation for taking a firm line against government misdemeanours and human rights abuses.” As news of the Chief Justice’s removal spread, so did protests. Today, it was reported that:
Police in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Friday used tear gas to clear the offices of the private Geo news channel as it broadcast live footage of clashes with protesters.
Windows were smashed in the lobby as officers tried to interrupt transmission of violent scenes near the Supreme Court, where suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry stood before a panel of judges over allegations of misuse of office.
Undoubtedly, some of the motivation behind the protests is political. Nawaz Sharif (former prime minister, deposed by Musharraf) and Benazir Bhutto (also former prime minister, lost (in a questionable election) to Sharif) are adept at stirring protests into action when it benefits them. But the discontent that has erupted in response to the Chief Justice’s removal seems to go far beyond business as usual. As the Washington Post reports:
“Nothing like this has happened during the time Musharraf has been in power,” said Ayaz Amir, a columnist for the English-language Dawn newspaper. “This has shaken the country. It has shaken the government. This is the most serious situation Musharraf has faced, and it has all the potential of getting out of hand and turning into something bigger.”
It may be strange to think of Pakistan – a country that generally welcomed its military dictator when he first took over – as being all that concerned with the rule of law. But that may well be what we have here.