Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Opinion

Opinion Columnist: Wardah Khalid

Students are no doubt mourning the loss of new episodes of their favorite shows as the Hollywood writers' strike enters its fourth week. While the writers' demands for fair pay are admirable, they pale in comparison to another strike occurring in Pakistan.

Pakistan's journalists are currently protesting against the suspension of their constitution, incarceration of and violence against hundreds of their colleagues and the right to freedom of the press. Essentially, it is a strike for power and order in their chaos-enveloped nation. The freedom of press these journalists covet will not occur, however, without a drastic change in the country's leadership, which is the cause behind the madness.

Unfortunately, President General Pervez Musharraf is not giving up his dictatorship easily. He finally conceded to relinquish his post as chief of Pakistan's army after intense pressure by the United States, but will still rule for five more years as a civilian leader. Musharraf has imposed military rule over Pakistan since 1999, when he ousted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup.

The root of the journalists' complaints is the emergency rule Musharraf imposed on the country on Nov. 3, just before Pakistan's Supreme Court declared his re-election illegal because he was still head of the military. Through emergency rule, which is essentially martial law, Musharraf fired the Supreme Court, dissolved the country's constitution and created a media blackout. It allows the government to jail or dispose of any individual without fear of retribution from the law. It is pure lawlessness.

About 2,500 journalists, lawyers, judges, human rights activists and other political opponents were jailed upon implementation of this rule. Yet, Musharraf continues to refuse his people's cry to lift it. Even the U.S., which has long supported the military man, had no luck with him when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte visited Pakistan and urged Musharraf to put an end to emergency rule and release political detainees.

"I took this decision in the best interest of Pakistan," Musharraf said to journalists Sunday. "I cannot watch this country go down in front of me after so many achievements and such an economic turnaround."

Whether or not he admits it, Musharraf is the reason the country is going down the way it is. Squashing his opponents, free press and democracy in favor of military rule is certainly not in the best interest of Pakistan or any country for that matter. Also, what is to say that Musharraf won't do this again once the elections take place in January? Pakistan needs a new leader who understands true democracy and the importance of free press to guide the country in the right direction.

Journalists and the media must be allowed to provide information and opinions in all countries, including Pakistan. There is a reason free speech is so coveted around the world. It allows the people of a nation to learn the good and bad truth about their leaders and government. The journalists protesting in Pakistan are justified in their fight for free press. If Musharraf can't handle the reality that is staring him in the face he should get out of politics and make way for someone who can.

- Wardah Khalid is a senior accounting major.

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