Musharraf finally cracks the whip

He, however, allowed President Rafiq Tarar to continue in office.

8220;The whole of Pakistan will come under the control of the armed forces of Pakistan,8221; the proclamation said as army officers moved to take key positions in the administration, alarming major powers who had hoped for an early return to democracy.

The proclamation followed days of futile talks with political leaders to persuade them to initiate an in-house change of government, sources here said.

The Pakistani people appeared to have taken the virtual military rule in their stride with schools, banks and business houses functioning as usual today.

In an order issued immediately after the proclamation, Musharraf put the chief executive beyond the pale of the Supreme Court. The court would, otherwise, continue to function as usual and fundamental rights continue to be in force, the order said.

The proclamation, which was to have retrospective effect from October 12, the day Musharraf overthrew Sharif, dismissed all federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers to the premier, parliamentary secretaries, the provincial governors, chief ministers, their ministers and advisers.

Soon afterwards the Central Bank froze all bank accounts of the deposed premier and his key associates.

The chairman and deputy chairman of the senate, the upper house, and the speaker and deputy speaker of the national assembly and the provincial assemblies were also suspended.

The national assembly was to re-convene today and the army tried its utmost to get it to vote Sharif out, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

The terse declaration, read out over Pakistani TV and radio, put the country8217;s existing constitution in abeyance8217;. President Tarar8217;s position was, however, left untouched.

The order made it clear that the President shall act on and in accordance with the advice of the chief executive.

This is the first time in over 22 years that Pakistan has come under military rule. In 1977 Gen Zia-ul-Haq had dismissed the duly elected government of Premier Z A Bhutto and declared martial law.

Within hours of the army8217;s proclamation, army officers took over key posts in four provinces. There were, however, no indications how long this would last.

Sharif and his close associates remained under detention for the fourth successive day today amidst reports that the army was contemplating taking action against those involved in large-scale corruption, in the first indication that sword was out for the former rulers.

The army would also take steps to establish a credible form of governance and initiate sweeping reforms, aimed at swaying the International Monetary Fund IMF into releasing a crucial tranche of 200 million to prop up the sagging economy, the reports said.

Major powers reacted with dismay and alarm to the army8217;s move to tighten its hold over the country. The US described Musharraf8217;s move as a step in the wrong direction8217; and urged him to revert back to democractic rule as soon as possible although themselves Pakistanis reacted to emergency with calm.

State Department spokesman James Foley said yesterday that US ambassador to Pakistan William Milam would soon after his return to Islamabad meet Musharraf and urge him to revert to civilian rule.

Britain described the army8217;s move to tighten its hold as a 8220;seriously and deeply worrying8221; move. The IMF has already indicated that it would freeze all loans to Pakistan until democracy is restored.

Life in Pakistan went on as usual with the people reacting stoically to the dismissal of Sharif who during his two-year rule squandered his enormous mandate by roughshodding all opposition. The army has ruled the country for 25 years of its 52-year-old history.