It’s not everyday that you see well-to-do lawyers in black suits and crisp shirts taking to the streets, marching by the thousands in protest then being battered by baton-wielding police and dragged away to jail. But that’s what is happening in Pakistan.
 
Why? Last Saturday Pakistan’s president, General Pervez Musharraf, declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution. He shut down the country’s Supreme Court, fired its chief justice, and muzzled the media. He also arrested thousands of people, including hundreds of lawyers. All this has the legal community—dressed in suits—taking to the streets in protest. (It's not the first time they've clashed with Musharraf.)

Why the state of emergency?
Musharraf says he made these moves because his fight against extremists is being hampered, but they come just ahead of an imminent Supreme Court ruling that may have found against the legality of his recent re-election. Critics say Musharraf has instituted Martial Law, meaning the military—not a form of government—is in charge.

Why Pakistan matters to the U.S.
After 9/11, the U.S. made a deal-with-the-devil of sorts with Pakistan, providing financial aid—more than $10 billion so far—and support for Gen. Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999. In exchange, Pakistan would help fight Islamic militants like al Qaeda, who are hiding out in the areas bordering neighboring Afghanistan. Some say that stability in Pakistan, above all else, is a good thing—they’re one of a handful of countries with nuclear weapons.

But things haven’t gone swimmingly. Gen. Musharraf is feeling pressure from all sides: the militants are as active as ever, and reformists want him to loosen his iron grip on power.

The big picture
The general has now agreed to allow parliamentary elections next February and give up his military uniform, but the crisis is far from settled. And in the coming weeks and months you’re likely to see more from the female opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a former Pakistani prime minister hoping to challenge Musharraf.

As for the role of the U.S., so far President Bush has only urged Musharraf to “restore democracy,” but isn’t threatening to cut off aid, leaving him open to critics who say he is cozying up to a dictator.