The declaration of the state of emergency came days before the Supreme Court was expected to rule on the constitutionality of General Musharraf's re-election as President last month and of his ability to serve as both the country's President and military leader.
Before transmission was cut off, Pakistani media reported that 1,000 additional police had been deployed in Islamabad, the capital. Groups of journalists had gathered in front of the country's Supreme Court in expectation that judges could be detained.
A senior American commander, Admiral William J. Fallon, warned Pakistan’s President last week not to impose emergency rule, saying that doing so would jeopardize American financial support for the military here.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it was obvious that the United States would not be supportive of extra-constitutional means of government. Ms. Rice called for parliamentary elections to proceed.
Under an arrangement brokered by the United States and Britain, the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan on October 18 for the first time in eight years on the understanding that she would take part in elections expected early next year.
The Bush administration hoped that Ms. Bhutto would bring a democratic face to Pakistan even as it continued under the rule of General Musharraf, who has pledged to give up his military post after being sworn in for another presidential term on Nov. 15.
For the moment, the fundamental rights of the citizens are suspended. All the news channels have been taken off air, mobile phone signals and Internet connections jammed and security measures have been high across the country.

CHRONOLOGY OF PAKISTAN'S POLITICAL CRISIS
  • March 9, 2007: Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally to the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets as their pro-democracy campaign grows.
  • July 10: After a week-long siege, Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement based there. At least 105 people are killed in the raid. A wave of deadly militant attacks and suicide bombings follow.
  • July 20: Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.
  • July 27: Musharraf meets ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi to thrash out how to move the country towards a civilian-led democracy. Bhutto sets conditions including that Musharraf steps down as army chief, talks are inconclusive.
  • Sept 10: Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf deposed eight years ago and subsequently exiled, is arrested at Islamabad airport. The Supreme Court had cleared his return, and is hearing petitions that the government was in contempt of court for putting Sharif on a flight to Saudia Arabia, where he still languishes.
  • Oct 2: Musharraf designates a successor as army chief, in the most concrete move towards making good a pledge to step down he first made in Dec. 2003. Government announces it is dropping corruption charges against Bhutto, clearing way for her return.
  • Oct 19: About 139 people killed by an attempted suicide bomb assassination of Bhutto during a procession through Karachi on returning from eight years of self-imposed exile. The attack is one of the deadliest ever in Pakistan.
  • Nov 2: Supreme Court reconvenes to hear challenges whether Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election by parliament on Oct. 6, while still army chief. His current term expires on Nov. 15. Separately, sources say about 800 people have died, more than half of them in suicide bombings, since the storming of the Red Mosque in July.
  • Nov 3 - Musharraf imposes emergency rule.
Source : Reuters