Pakistan:
Sharif ousted by army coup

The Pakistani army took over the country in a coup on October 12. The 
leader of the coup, Army chief of staff General Pervaiz Musharraf, moved 
swiftly when he heard that Premier Nawaz Sharif had dismissed him.

Within hours it was Sharif who was out of a job as army units seized 
government buildings and media centres.

Exiled opposition leaders, including former premier Benazir Bhutto in 
London, did little to hide their pleasure at the downfall of the man who 
had tried to drive them underground on corruption charges which could 
equally be laid at his own door.

But all expressed the hope that the army would soon call fresh elections 
and return to barracks.

They may have a long wait. This is the fifth successful army coup since 
independence from Britain in 1947. Speaking on Pakistani television General 
Musharraf accused Sharif of trying to "create dissent in the ranks".

"You are all well aware of the kind of turmoil and uncertainty that our 
country has gone through in recent times", Musharraf declared. "Not only 
have all the institutions been played around with and systematically 
destroyed, the economy too is in a state of collapse."

He called on the people to remain calm and support the armed forces "in the 
re-establishment of order to pave the way for a prosperous future for 
Pakistan".

Though Sharif was elected in February 1997 after an overwhelming victory in 
the general elections the only people to go onto the streets when the news 
broke of the army's move were his enemies, who lit fireworks to celebrate 
while hundreds more gathered outside the television centre in Islamabad to 
chant "Long live the Army!".

"It's a very sad day in Pakistan's history", Pakistan People's Party leader 
Benazir Bhutto told the American CNN news. "I'm awfully disturbed today. I 
feared this moment would arrive and I asked Mr Sharif to resign to save 
civilian society in Pakistan.

"However, he clung onto power even though the people had risen against him 
and today's rash action of sacking Musharraf ... precipitated this martial 
law."

Sharif's ousting had long been expected. While the Pakistani people and its 
political elite expect a degree of cronyism and nepotism in any government, 
Sharif and his friends were accused of gross corruption, the very charges 
they levelled against Bhutto and others to hound them out.

The generals were angered by the sacking of senior officers to make way for 
Sharif placemen and the dismal diplomatic and military response to India's 
recent actions in Kashmir. The attempt to sack the chief of staff was the 
last straw.

Pakistan has been independent for 52 years. The army has been in power on 
and off for 25 of them. But every period of martial law has collapsed under 
mass protest from the Pakistani people.

General Musharraf is enjoying a brief honeymoon with the people for ridding 
the country of a corrupt administration. That will soon evaporate unless he 
quickly announces a program for the speedy return to civilian rule and free 
elections.

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