Listening exercise
BBC: Musharraf imposes emergency rule
Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf declares emergency rule
and suspends the constitution
reported by Barbara Plett
Source page:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7076670.stm
Watch this video – direct video link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news/world/video/130000/bb/130568_16x9_bb.ram?ad=1&ct=50
Audio capture (local audio file)

We will spend two weeks on this listening assignment, because there is so much background information to cover before you can understand the BBC video on which the questions are based. For this week, carefully read the English summary below, to learn something about the background of the current situation in Pakistan. Also read some recent news reports, in Chinese and/or English; some links are given below. Next week you will be responsible for answers to the questions below, though you can start on this part early if you have enough background to do the assignment. You will need to look for answers to some of the questions in the written text on BBC source page, or elsewhere on the Internet.      This is a developing story, so another part of your assignment is to update yourself on the situation in Pakistan every day. New information will be added to this page as news comes in from the media, so please print this out on Tuesday evening, if possible, and bring it to class so we can read and discuss it together.

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Here is some background information on the current situation in Pakistan collected from many online sources to help you better understand this assignment; read it CAREFULLY, and check all the words you don't know. We will discuss this summary in class on Thursday November 14. We will mark the answers to the listening comprehension questions on November 21:      Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, for the second time during his eight years in power, declared emergency rule in Pakistan, on November 3, 2007, suspending the constitution and limiting criticism of the government by the media.      Musharraf was reelected president by the Pakistani legislature on October 6, 2007, though the opposition boycotted the election, other candidates withdrew from the election, and 80 opposition party members had resigned from Parliament, protesting that Musharraf was running for re-election while remaining head of the army.      Opposition groups say about 3,500 people have been arrested since emergency rule was declared. Most detainees are lawyers, although opposition party supporters and rights activists have also been arrested.      There does not appear to be a groundswell of popular resistance in the nation of 160 million, which has been under military rule for much of its 60-year history. Cynicism and apathy over the political system is widespread. Demonstrations so far have been limited largely to opposition activists, rights workers and lawyers, angered by the attacks on the judiciary.

In March this year, Musharraf tried to fire Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on misconduct charges, but he was later reinstated. On Nov. 4, authorities blacked out independent TV outlets and arrested political activists and lawyers. Musharraf also replaced Chaudhry as chief judge of the Supreme Court and placed him under house arrest, and also confined judges to the court, saying the country must fight rising Islamic extremism. This came just as the Supreme Court was to rule on whether to validate Musharraf's recent election to the presidency by a largely Musharraf-friendly Parliament. Chaudhry told lawyers by mobile phone: "Don't be afraid. God will help us and the day will come when you'll see the constitution supreme and no dictatorship for a long time."

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Two former prime ministers of Pakistan also play a role in current events. Former Pakistani prime minister and opposition party leader Nawaz Sharif (served 1990-1993 and 1997-1999; Musharraf deposed Sharif in a coup in 1999) had been convicted of tax evasion and treason, but Sharif was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile and not traveling to Pakistan or directly taking part in Pakistani politics. That agreement changed last week, when Pakistan's Supreme Court lifted the exile order, a decision in which Chaudhry played a leading role. Sharif attempted to return to Pakistan on Nov. 5 after seven years in exile but police ordered him to board a flight for Saudi Arabia soon after his arrival in Islamabad from London. Sharif has hinted that he may try to regain his position as prime minister.

Benazir Bhutto was prime minister in 1988, then from 1993-1996, and was removed from office both times on corruption charges. She returned to Pakistan on October 18, 2007, after reaching an "understanding" with General Musharraf in which an amnesty was granted to her and all corruption charges withdrawn. Her homecoming turned into a bloodbath when a suicide bomber struck the vehicle in which she was travelling, killing at least 126 people and wounding another 248. Ms Bhutto escaped unhurt and was evacuated to her residence in the city. Though Bhutto condemned Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule on November 3, Bhutto was criticized by Sharif for negotiating with Musharraf on a possible power-sharing deal. One condition of this deal was that Musharraf agreed to resign as Pakistan's army chief, though he has yet to set a timetable. Musharraf says parliamentary elections will be held before February 15, 2008.

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