Emergency to go within a month if security situation improves: AG

“In any case, it won’t go beyond two months because we don’t want to make it a permanent feature. If the law and order situation improves or if there are no untoward incidents, it will be much sooner than that,” said Qayyum, who has emerged as a key figure in the decision-making process in the past few weeks.

He made it clear that the government intended to end the Emergency in a month if the law and order situation improved. “I don’t see the Emergency continuing forever or even after two months,” he told Dawn News channel. “The emergency had its effect and the situation is fast improving,” Qayyum said.

Musharraf had cited the internal security situation, especially a spurt in activities by extremists, and judicial “interference” by the superior courts as the main reasons behind his decision to impose Emergency.

Asked about the arrest of a large number of lawyers, who have been at the forefront of protests against the Emergency, Qayyum said most of them would be released “within days”. Only lawyers against whom there was evidence and those detained for “heinous crimes” would be held by authorities, he said.

Meanwhile, the United States has said that it has not “given up” on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, even as its officials in Islamabad were in touch with opposition leader Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on the emerging situation there.

“No. Absolutely not”, White House Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe said when asked if the Bush administration had given up on Musharraf. “I think his remarks on Friday were notable for calling for elections early next year, as well as removing the uniform. So we expect him to uphold those commitments that he’s made,” he said.

Johndroe, also the White House Deputy Spokesman, said that the Bush administration officials were in touch with Bhutto’s party on the emerging situation in Pakistan.