This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7119416.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Musharraf to end emergency rule | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has announced that he intends to lift a state of emergency on 16 December. | |
| He was addressing the nation after leaving the army and being sworn in for a new term as a civilian head of state. | |
| President Musharraf said emergency rule had "saved the nation" and urged all parties to take part in general elections due to be held on 8 January. | President Musharraf said emergency rule had "saved the nation" and urged all parties to take part in general elections due to be held on 8 January. |
| On Wednesday, Mr Musharraf stepped down as commander of the military amid heavy domestic and international pressure. | On Wednesday, Mr Musharraf stepped down as commander of the military amid heavy domestic and international pressure. |
| 'Conspiracy' | |
| For Thursday's ceremony and national address, the president wore a black traditional suit (sherwani) instead of a military uniform. | |
| Pervez Musharraf was elected to a second term as president by the country's parliament and provincial assemblies on 6 October. The legitimacy of the vote has been hotly contested. | |
| He told the nation he had declared the emergency on 3 November because "the very existence of our nation was in danger". | |
| "I was elected with 57% votes and there was a conspiracy to abort that," the president said, in an apparent reference to the Supreme Court which was hearing legal challenges to the election. | |
| One of President Musharraf's first moves under emergency rule was to sack the judges. | |
| He said there had been an "explosion of terrorism", which emergency rule had helped deal with. | |
| "I think now things have improved, the administration is now on the right track and terrorism has been brought under control," he said. | |
| "Now, I want to declare that I want to lift the emergency on 16 December and let elections be conducted in a very fair way, very transparent way." |