Pakistan—Human Rights, Military Rule, and the State of Emergency

On November 3, 2007, General Pervez Musharraf imposed “emergency rule” in Pakistan. Arguing that drastic measures were necessary to combat a terrorist threat, he suspended the Constitution and dismissed the Supreme Court, which was about to rule his election candidacy invalid. The imposition of martial law has been met with widespread protest, especially from the movement of lawyers that arisen in opposition to continued military rule. Thousands of lawyers, judges, human rights activists, students, and politicians have been arrested and detained in the last week.

OSI hosted a panel to discuss the recent upheaval, featuring the following speakers:

• Asma Jahangir (by phone from Pakistan), Pakistani lawyer and human rights advocate and Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She is currently under house arrest in Lahore, Pakistan.
• Ayesha Jalal, Professor of History at Tufts University and an expert on Pakistan and Islam in South Asia.
• Anil Kalhan, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham Law School.
• Frederick Barton, Senior Adviser in the Center for Strategic & International Studies International Security Program and Codirector of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project.