IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 823 
Condemning the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 14, 2007 
Mr. ACKERMAN (for himself and Mr. DELAHUNT) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan. 
Whereas on November 3, 2007, General Pervez Musharraf 
declared a state of emergency in Pakistan; 
Whereas General Musharraf issued ‘‘Provisional Constitu-
tional Order No. 1 of 2007’’ suspending the Constitution 
of Pakistan and arrogating to himself extraordinary pow-
ers; 
Whereas General Musharraf has removed from their positions 
7 Supreme Court justices who attempted to challenge the 
constitutionality of his declarations; 
Whereas most Supreme Court and high court justices have 
refused to take new oaths of office under the state of 
emergency, and thousands of lawyers have honored the 
call of the Lahore Bar Council to refuse to appear before 
judges who have taken the new oath; 
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•HRES 823 IH 
Whereas Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudry, who 
was summarily dismissed by General Musharraf in March 
2007 and reinstated by the Supreme Court in July 2007, 
has been removed under the state of emergency, but has 
refused to recognize his removal or the state of emer-
gency, and has called upon citizens to ‘‘rise up for the 
supremacy of the constitution’’; 
Whereas General Musharraf issued the ‘‘Press, Newspapers, 
News Agencies and Books Registration (Amendment) Or-
dinance, 2007’’ which censors independent media outlets, 
and has resulted in some television stations being closed 
by Pakistani authorities; 
Whereas former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is under 
house arrest, and hundreds of opposition politicians, law-
yers, journalists, and human rights workers have been ar-
rested by Pakistani police and remain jailed without 
charges; 
Whereas Dr. Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur of the 
United Nations Commission on Human Rights on free-
dom of religion and belief, has been placed under house 
arrest for 90 days; 
Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has stated that 
‘‘the United States has made clear that it does not sup-
port extra constitutional measures because those meas-
ures would take Pakistan away from the path of democ-
racy and civilian rule’’; 
Whereas President George W. Bush has stated that ‘‘emer-
gency measures in Pakistan undermine democracy’’; 
Whereas the principles of constitutional order and the rule of 
law are prerequisites to any functioning democracy; and 
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•HRES 823 IH 
Whereas these actions by General Musharraf undermine the 
efforts of the Government of Pakistan and the Govern-
ment of the United States to effectively fight against al 
Qaeda and Taliban terrorists and threaten United States 
interests in South Asia: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the imposition of a state of emer-
gency in Pakistan by General Pervez Musharraf on 
November 3, 2007; 
(2) commends members of the legal profession 
in Pakistan as well as opposition politicians, human 
rights activists, and independent journalists for their 
courageous opposition to the state of emergency and 
their principled leadership in defending the Constitu-
tion of Pakistan and promoting the rule of law; 
(3) calls on General Musharraf to rescind ‘‘Pro-
visional Constitutional Order No. 1 of 2007’’, and 
restore the Constitution of Pakistan; 
(4) calls on General Musharraf to restore to 
their positions all Supreme Court and high court 
justices and other members of the legal profession in 
Pakistan who have been removed from office and to 
respect the independence of the Pakistani judiciary; 
(5) calls on General Musharraf to rescind the 
‘‘Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Reg-
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•HRES 823 IH 
istration (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007’’ and allow 
independent media to re-open; 
(6) calls on General Musharraf to release the 
hundreds of opposition politicians, lawyers, journal-
ists, and human rights activists recently arrested; 
(7) expects General Musharraf to step down as 
Chief of Army Staff as he has repeatedly promised 
to do; 
(8) urges that free and fair elections be held be-
fore January 15, 2008, as previously scheduled; and 
(9) urges President George W. Bush to suspend 
all military assistance including the sale and transfer 
of military equipment to the Government of Paki-
stan until the conditions described in paragraphs (3) 
through (8) have been met. 
Æ 
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