In 2007, Pakistan experienced a significant political upheaval marked by two major events: the declaration of emergency by President Pervez Musharraf and the subsequent Lawyer's Movement.
1. **Emergency by Musharraf (November 2007):**
- On November 3, 2007, President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan. He cited rising Islamist militancy and a growing interference by the judiciary as the reasons for the emergency.
- The emergency declaration suspended the country's constitution, dissolved the judiciary, and imposed severe restrictions on the media.
- Musharraf's move was widely criticized both domestically and internationally, with many seeing it as an attempt to cling to power and stifle dissent.
- The declaration of emergency led to the arrest of thousands of lawyers, political activists, and members of the judiciary who opposed Musharraf's regime.
2. **Lawyer's Movement (2007-2009):**
- The Lawyer's Movement emerged as a response to Musharraf's declaration of emergency and the subsequent suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on March 9, 2007.
- Lawyers across Pakistan took to the streets to protest against the government's actions, demanding the restoration of the judiciary and the rule of law.
- The movement gained momentum and widespread public support, with lawyers organizing rallies, protests, and sit-ins across the country.
- Civil society groups, political parties, and the general public joined the lawyers in their demand for the reinstatement of the judiciary and the return to constitutional governance.
- The movement faced harsh crackdowns by the government, with many activists and lawyers being arrested, beaten, and subjected to other forms of intimidation.
- Despite the crackdown, the Lawyer's Movement persisted, and its leaders mobilized support through various means, including media campaigns and public outreach.
- The movement eventually achieved its primary goal when, in March 2009, the Chief Justice and other judges were reinstated by the newly elected government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
- The Lawyer's Movement is widely regarded as a significant moment in Pakistan's history, highlighting the power of civil society and the legal community in advocating for democratic principles and the rule of law.
These events in 2007 marked a turbulent period in Pakistan's political landscape, characterized by tensions between the military government led by Musharraf and various opposition forces advocating for democracy and the rule of law.
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