PAKISTAN: Lahore quiet ahead of mass rally as Islamabad's Supreme Court prepares for Musharraf election victory hearing

Security remains tight in a quiet Lahore one day ahead of a mass protest planned by opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Meanwhile in Islamabad Pakistan's Supreme Court is expected to resume a hearing into challenges to President Pervez Musharraf's controversial election victory. Security was tight and streets were deserted on Monday morning (November 12) in the Pakistani city of Lahore, just one day before hundreds of thousands were expected to amass there for a large scale rally. Called by opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, crowds are expected to take to the streets and make their way to the capital Islamabad, in protest against President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule. Bhutto intends to lead a procession of vehicles to Islamabad on Tuesday (November 13) to demand Musharraf quits as army chief,the emergency rule he imposed a week ago, restores the constitution and frees thousands of detained lawyers and opponents. Police have vowed to block the convoy, just as they stifled a planned protest rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Friday (November 9) -- where Bhutto was held under house arrest for most of the day. Bhutto, who the United States had hoped would end up sharing power with Musharraf after elections, described nuclear-armed Pakistan as a "pressure cooker" about to explode on Saturday (November 10). In the face of pressure from U.S. President George W. Bush, Musharraf on Sunday (November 11) said elections would be held by early January, in line with a schedule that Bhutto had been insisting on. However, he is still waiting for a Supreme Court ruling to endorse his October election win while still serving as army chief and he has not yet given a date for lifting emergency rule, or removing his army uniform. Pakistan's Supreme Court is expected to resume the hearing into challenges to his controversial election victory this week and could reach a decision by the weekend, a newspaper reported on Monday. While imposed emergency rule on November 3, Musharraf also suspended the constitution, sacked most top judges, and locked up lawyers, rounding up most of the political opposition and rights activists. He justified his steps by saying the judiciary was hampering the battle against militants and interfering with governance. But diplomats say Musharraf's main objective was to stop the Supreme Court ruling his October 6 re-election invalid. Rivals had filed legal challenges in the Supreme Court arguing Musharraf was ineligible to contest while still army chief. Musharraf, under pressure from Western allies and his rivals to put the nuclear-armed country back on a path to democracy, said on Sunday a general election would be held by January 9. But he declined to say when the emergency would be lifted and constitution restored. He also said he would step down as army chief and be sworn in as civilian president as soon as the Supreme Court -- where new judges seen as friendly to the government have been appointed -- ruled on the challenges to his election. Attorney General Malik Adul Qayyum said the Supreme Court would most likely resume its hearing into the petitions challenging Musharraf's candidacy on Wednesday (November 15) the Daily Times reported. Qayyum told the newspaper he was hopeful the case would be decided by the weekend. Many Pakistanis expect Musharraf to go back on his promise to give up his uniform, as he did in 2004. Bhutto supporters are praying that her return to Pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile to avoid corruption charges will mark a new beginning in troubled Pakistan. ENDS.

ITN Source | November 12, 2007

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