Reuters: Opposition unites against President 07 November

President Pervez Musharraf cited spiralling militancy and hostile judges to justify the imposition of emergency rule and suspension of the constitution at the weekend in Pakistan's biggest crisis since he took power in a 1999 coup.

Washington is treading carefully. It's wary of undermining a crucial ally at a time when al Qaeda has regrouped in Pakistan's tribal lands. The substance of the talks isn't known yet but Negroponte was expected to try to revive a deal between General Pervez Musharraf and his opposition rival Benazir Bhutto - a deal that fell apart after the president imposed emergency rule on November 3rd.

The lawyers took to the streets to meet with deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry at his home in Islamabad. They chanted for President Musharraf to go and for Chaudhry to be reinstated.

The police have detained 600-700 supporters of a main Islamist opposition party. Morale in the security forces is low, and restrictions on the media have been put in place to stop outrage spilling onto the streets. This is Pakistan's biggest crisis since President Musharraf took power in a 1999 coup. Nuclear-armed Pakistan's security has deteriorated sharply since July, when commandos stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement. Since then nearly 800 people have been killed in militant-linked violence, which has included more than 23 suicide attacks.

Up to 500 people have been arrested and detained as military ruler President Pervez Musharraf tries to stifle outcry over the emergency measures. Musharraf claims he implemented the measures because the country is in a crisis caused my militant violence and a hostile judiciary. The United States says it will review financial aid to Pakistan following the crackdown.

Pakistan waits in anticipation for the outcome of Monday's election which may see defeat for the party backing President Pervez Musharraf. A hostile parliament could try to impeach the U.S. ally who has ruled the country since 1999, following a coup.

Musharraf says he had to act to preserve Pakistan's democratic tradition because the country was on the "verge of destabilisation". General Musharraf suspended the constitution, dispatched troops to key government buildings and sacked the chief Supreme Court Justice before going on national tv to explain his actions.

In a move expected to put off elections due in January Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule and deployed troops across the capital in a bid to reassert his flagging authority against political rivals and Islamist militants. The state of emergency came after a tide of rising violence and political turmoil in the country.

The U.S. deputy secretary of state met General Musharraf on Saturday (November 17), the first high-level meeting of a U.S. official with Washington's crucial ally in the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban since he imposed emergency rule on November 3.