By NNN-APP
Washington : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, reaffirming his belief in democracy, has said emergency law is needed for peaceful conduct of upcoming parliamentary elections.
He strongly defended declaration of a state of emergency early this month and said the step aimed at heading off further deterioration in law and order in the face of growing terrorism threat. Musharraf told an American newspaper that he puts Pakistan ahead of other considerations.
“We need emergency law for peaceful conduct of elections, so there won’t be any violence and bombings,” he told The Washington Post in an interview.
The Pakistani leader has announced that elections would be held in early January, 2008. President Musharraf stressed that his intent was only to save Pakistanis from suicide attacks.
The government, he said, had restored transmission of several private television channels that had been blocked and several hundred arrested activists had also been released.
Musharraf said the government is committed to maintaining law and order.
“Anyone who breaks the law of the land will be back in jail or restricted,” he said.
“We don’t want anyone in agitation mode —-Pakistan comes first, and there are certain realities on the ground—extremism and terrorism—that made me decide to go with emergency law,” he said.
On his commitment to democracy, the president said “I am the strongest believer in democracy. I brought democracy to Pakistan and I still believe in it.”
Asked when emergency rule would end he said he was, “thinking about it. I don’t know.”
According to the paper, Musharraf described former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as “too confrontational” and ruled out any further discussions over a “power-sharing agreement.”
In the context of fight against terrorism, Musharraf termed as “unfair and untrue” the allegation that political developments had distracted government in its counter-terrorism efforts and reminded “we are fighting a vicious enemy.”