2007年VOA标准英语-Pakistan Supreme Court to Decide Musharraf's El

By Simon Marks
Washington
27 September 2007
 

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has pledged to step down as military chief and restore civilian¹ rule if lawmakers give him another five-year mandate². The Supreme³ Court is now considering whether he is constitutionally eligible⁴ to run in the presidential election on 6 October, and is expected to announce its verdict soon. Atorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum told the court this week that General Musharraf will stay on as army chief if he is not elected for a second term. Simon Marks looks at the situation from Islamabad ahead of the election.

Pakistan's Supreme Court was thrust into the middle of political life in Islamabad earlier this year. President Pervez Musharraf sparked nationwide protests in March after he suspended the high court's chief justice. He accused Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry of misconduct,  but in July the court reinstated the chief justice.

Iftikhar Gilani argues cases before the Supreme Court and took part in demonstrations⁵ in support of the chief justice. Gilani says the protests marked a turning point on Pakistan's political path. "That was the catalyst⁶.  The lawyers that stood up were not just for the sake of the chief justice," he said. "They were saying, we've had enough of attacks by the military, by the executive, by the generals on the judicial⁷ system of the country."

And that has led to a new confidence among some Paksitanis in their country's legal system. Today, petitioners⁸ camp out opposite the Supreme Court, campaigning for justice on a variety of issues.

Nasreen Iqbal has spent a month outside the court. She says she lost her home and 12 acres [five hectares] of land that local officials expropriated.  The court has already given her some measure of legal relief, but she is hoping for more.

"I came here to appeal to the chief justice of Pakistan to help me again," said Iqbal. "I want the people who occupied my house to be removed. The police have arrested two suspects on the orders of the Supreme Court. Now I want the police to arrest the other 11."

At a political level, the court still could rule against President Musharraf's bid for a further five-year term in office, a judgment⁹ that could dramatically curtail¹⁰ his options just days before the October 6th election.

But the Pakistani people's new-found faith in their judicial system may also complicate¹¹ life for the country's potential civilian rulers like former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who has vowed¹² to return to Pakistan next month from self-imposed exile; and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, now in forced exile in Saudi Arabia.

"I, in fact, said to both of them that Pakistan has changed," says Attorney Asma Jahangir, another advocate before the Supreme Court. "When you come back, it's not the same Pakistan. And people are going to ask questions. It is not going to be the dictate¹³ of leadership alone. People will expect more consultation¹⁴."

In the short term, the presidential candidates will need the support of country's national and provincial¹⁵ assemblies. They, not the voting public, elect the president on October 6th.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

7 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

8 petitioners   

n.请求人，请愿人( petitioner的名词复数 )；离婚案原告

参考例句：

• Petitioners suggest that anything less than certainty, that any speculation, is irresponsible. 申诉者认为不准确的事或推断都是不负责任的。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The judge awarded the costs of the case to the petitioners. 法官判定由这起案件的上诉人支付诉讼费用。 来自辞典例句

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 curtail   

vt.截短，缩短；削减

参考例句：

• The government hopes to curtail public spending.政府希望缩减公共事业开支。
• The minister had to curtail his visit.部长不得不缩短访问日期。

11 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

12 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

13 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

14 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

15 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。