Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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December 15, 2007

Musharraf Says Emergency Rule Saved Pakistan
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A977B1:A6F02AD83191E1604318DF8523AFCD3870AD7039DCD7B7E4& Pakistani leader
also pledges upcoming elections will be free, fair and transparent





President Pervez Musharraf delivers his nationally televised address
in Islamabad, Pakistan, 15 Dec. 2007 Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf says he imposed a controversial state of emergency as a last
resort to save Pakistan from destruction.

Mr. Musharraf says a conspiracy had been planned by unspecified people
to derail the country's transition to democracy.

The Pakistani leader has pledged that upcoming elections will be free,
fair and transparent. He spoke Saturday in a nationally televised
address hours after lifting his country's state of emergency that was
imposed on November third.

Earlier Saturday Pakistan's attorney general told VOA that rights of
individual expression will be restored, and some media restrictions
might be lifted.

On Friday, President Musharraf made last-minute changes to the
constitution to legalize his moves to stay in power and silence his
opponents.  The amendments legalized the forced retirement of judges
who refused to accept emergency rule, address election procedures and
eliminate a two-term limit for prime ministers.

Mr. Musharraf also put the country's nuclear arsenal firmly in
government control, handing it over to the National Command Authority.

The move is aimed at allaying international concern that Pakistan's
nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of Islamist extremists.

Despite the president's pledge to restore constitutional rule,
opposition members say they fear that the elections on January 8 will
be rigged to favor Mr. Musharraf's supporters.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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