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Published on November 5, 2007

When Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf announced another state of emergency on Saturday, it was clear that he had lost control of the country. And, it was also quite clear he had lost control of himself. The general's desire to stay on in power appears to have blinded him completely. Pakistan is now facing a new crisis brought about by Musharraf's myopia. In his television address on Saturday he said Pakistan had been engulfed in political upheaval and that the country's security forces had suffered from fighting pro-Taleban militants. Pakistan's sovereignty was in danger, he claimed, and timely action must be taken. He said he would not allow his country to "commit suicide", which, in fact, is what he was doing.

The targets he concentrated on during his televised address were the country's unyielding judiciary, critical media outlets and restless members of the opposition. In his announcement, he blamed the judiciary for making decisions, which he said had undermined the government. When Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was restored to his position in August after being sacked by Musharraf, it was obvious that the general was facing an enemy openly opposed to him. After Chaudry was dismissed, other judges were asked to pledge their loyalty to him.

The general wanted to declare a state of emergency back then, but the US, which still strongly backed his government, kept him from doing so. Under Musharraf's rule, both countries have increased their level of cooperation in anti-terrorism efforts. Now, he has dismissed Chaudhry and installed a new chief judge. This time round, Musharraf has attacked the Pakistani media, blocking transmissions from private news channels in the capital and other cities, as well as jamming mobile phones. He also banned the media from reporting on militant Islamists and suicide bombers. Pakistani media have recently increased their coverage of militant activities throughout the country and some media outlets have been quite sympathetic to militant groups in their reports.

The general also moved quickly to quash the opposition. Javed Hashmi, acting president of the party of exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, was detained. The election day was delayed again. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was returning to her home base in Karachi and has pledged to cooperate with other opposition parties to fight against martial law and ensure a free and fair election takes place.

The current crisis will certainly jeopardise Pakistan's standing both in the region and internationally, which has been plummeting rapidly amid political turmoil. Already, relations with the US, a key supporter of Musharraf, have deteriorated. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not mince words when she said Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency was a setback for democracy in Pakistan. She also said it was a regrettable development. Recent times have been tough for the US internationally, as the country has also had to deal with crises in Iran and Turkey.

Washington is extremely concerned that the longer Musharraf stays, the bigger a liability he will become. Military leaders loyal to him might already be splitting, as quite a few don't agree with his actions. Continued fighting between the military and extremists in various parts of the country has further weakened the morale of the troops, who increasingly view Musharraf's leadership with disdain. The US wants to see Pakistan as a democratic and secular country in South Asia that can serve as a bulwark against Islamic militancy in West Asia. But with the ongoing political crisis, it will be difficult for this to occur.

Musharraf must rethink the situation before it descends into anarchy. Nobody wants to see parts of Pakistan in the control of militant groups that have won the people's support. Musharraf's war on terror, backed by the US, has lost the support of locals, making him and his security forces unable to fight in an effective manner. The best way out for Pakistan is for the general to leave the scene.