Asma Jahangir: Musharraf has lost his marbles and is targeting progressives

Ms. Jahangir has been one of the most active leaders of the human rights movement in Pakistan. What she sees, what she thinks, is worthy of serious consideration. To me, the most remarkable feature of this article is the failure of Musharraf's attempt to control information. He placed Ms. Jahangir under house arrest and presumably, as he did in other cases of house arrest, cut the phone connections and jammed the cell phone frequencies. But here is a prompt report by Ms. Jahangir on what is going on in Pakistan, with her reflections on the implications. Musharraf's coup seems not to be working.
RLC

The Independent

"The situation in the country is uncertain. There is a strong crackdown on the press and lawyers. A majority of the judges of the Supreme Court and four judges of the High Court have not taken their oaths. The Chief Justice is under house arrest (unofficially). The president of the Supreme Court Bar, Aitzaz Ahsan, and two former presidents, Mr Muneer Malik and Tariq Mahmood have been imprisoned for one month under the preventive detention laws." . . .
"The president of the Lahore High Court, Ahsan Bhoon, and former bar leader Ali Ahmed Kurd have also been arrested. The police are looking for six other lawyers, including the president of the Peshawar and Karachi bar. The president of the Lahore bar is also in hiding. Scores of political leaders have been arrested." . . .
"Ironically the President (who has lost his marbles) said that he had to clamp down on the press and the judiciary to curb terrorism. Those he has arrested are progressive, secular- minded people while the terrorists are offered negotiations and ceasefires." . . .