Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Friday lifted the six-week-old state of emergency and revived the Constitution as part of efforts to counter criticism by the world community and opposition parties which have expressed apprehensions that the upcoming elections would not be free and fair.
Musharraf signed three Presidential orders to end the emergency and withdrew the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) that suspended the Constitution and fundamental rights, and revive the Constitution of 1973. The cabinet division then issued the formal notification about lifting the emergency, state-run PTV reported.
Former Premier and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief Benazir Bhutto, who was campaigning in Quetta for the January 8 Parliamentary polls, welcomed the lifting of the emergency but said she still had reservations".
The move came a day after Musharraf made several constitutional amendments to strengthen his position and prevent legal challenges to the actions he had taken while the emergency was in force for six weeks since November 3.
Musharraf, 64, last month quit the post of Army Chief before taking oath as a civilian for a second presidential term on November 29.
Musharraf, who came to power in a bloodless coup, amended Constitutional articles to change the norms for the disqualification of President and to allow the election of the President before the completion of the tenure of five years.
He also amended constitutional articles so that deposed judges of the superior judiciary who did not endorse the
emergency would "cease to hold office with effect from" November 3.
The revival of the Constitution after the lifting of emergency "will not make them eligible to regain the charge of their offices", the law ministry said. The judges who took oath under the PCO will continue to hold office, the ministry added.
Musharraf, who was welcomed by many when he ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999 lost a lot of public support after imposing emergency. Strict curbs were imposed on the media, especially independent TV news channels, and over 5,700 lawyers, rights activists and political workers were jailed.