MILITARY RULE IN PAKISTAN

October 15, 1999
		Pakistan's military commander Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf took full control of his country's government Friday, dissolving the Pakistani Parliament and suspending the constitution. -- Posted 1:15 PM ET

Oct. 13, 1999: Four experts discuss the coup in Pakistan. Oct. 12, 1999: An Online Update on the situation in Pakistan Feb. 22, 1999: Easing nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan. June 4, 1998: Leaders meet in Geneva to discuss India/Pakistan situation. May 29, 1998: The dangers of nuclear diplomacy in the region. May 28, 1998: Pakistan responds to India's nuclear tests. May 26, 1998: Pakistan contemplates nuclear test response. May 26, 1998: Tensions rise between India and Pakistan. May 14, 1998: India conducts five nuclear tests in three days. Complete NewsHour coverage of Asia     Pakistani Embassy in Washington Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

The move comes three days after a bloodless coup against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. General Musharraf has declared a state of emergency, heightening international concerns about the status of the world's newest nuclear power. "The United States continues to believe Pakistan's best interests would be served by a prompt return to civilian rule and the restoration of the democratic process," State Department Spokesman James Foley said. U.S. Ambassador William Milam met with the army chief for two hours Friday to press for a return to democracy. Musharraf did not give an indication of his intentions or his timeline, according to U.S. diplomats, but the conversation was "good." Friday's announcement has heightened tensions between Pakistan and neighboring India. The two countries have fought three wars since they became independent from Britain 52 years ago. "Pakistan is effectively under martial law following a military coup," Raminder Singh Jassal, a spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs, said in a statement. Bilateral talks between the two nations have been discontinued. Musharraf addressed the people of Pakistan Friday morning in his second broadcast since Tuesday's coup. He did not indicate how long the military would hold the reins of government. At a meeting with his senior military commanders, the army chief said that he was working on "an efficient and impartial interim setup, which would ensure stability, credibility, transparency and accountability in running the affairs of state." The military threw remaining lawmakers and administrators out of the parliament building as they sealed it off. The parliament had been scheduled to meet Friday. Meanwhile, the State Bank of Pakistan issued an order freezing accounts belonging to Pakistan's lawmakers "until further notice." The army appears to have been bolstered by the support it has received since ousting the 31-month-old Sharif government. The military seized power hours after Sharif fired Musharraf. According to Musharraf, Prime Minister Sharif remains under house arrest.