Pakistani archbishop expresses concern over emergency rule

Published: 2007-11-05

NEW DELHI (CNS) -- The head of the Pakistani Catholic bishops' conference expressed concern over the imposition of emergency rule that has led to widespread protests and a crackdown by the military regime of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president. "The church is very much concerned about what is happening. This situation is very unfortunate," Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, conference president, told Catholic News Service Nov. 5 in a telephone interview from his office in Lahore. "If the present situation lasts longer, it will lead to clamor, agitation and violence," said the archbishop. Musharraf, who captured power in a bloodless coup in 1999, declared emergency rule and suspended the constitution Nov. 3. He held several judges -- including the country's chief justice -- incommunicado for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the military.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .