Addressing a meeting of the National Security Council, President Musharraf said he was committed to holding a general election by early next year and that he would quit his position as army chief.

He said he had never had any doubts about "the issue of uniform. This is the third phase of transition and I must remove my uniform." He said the Supreme Court now had to rule by when he should do this and whether he could enter his second term.

This statement was made and broadcast on state television, as opposition to emergency rule continues to grow in the country, as does the counter-crackdown by the authorities. Hundreds of lawyers and activists have been arrested over the past week.

Crackdown on PPP in Karachi

The latest crackdown in the night from Wednesday to Thursday was on the supporters of Benazir Bhutto's party in Karachi. The Pakistan People's Party is planning to hold a public meeting in Rawalpindi on Friday to protest against the state of emergency.

The authorities have said they will not tolerate any resistance and maintain that the crackdown is necessary to maintain law and order.

International human rights groups, however, say that Musharraf's move was unconstitutional and that the rights of the Pakistanis are being violated.

Maja Daruwala from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi said that her concern was the "treatment of the judiciary and the proclamation of emergency, as well as the arrests of human rights defenders such as Asma Jehangir and Rehman who are known world-wide for their work."

Charged with treason

The authorities also charged three politicians and a trade union leader with treason for making speeches against Musharraf. The four, which include Baluch nationalist leader Hasil Bizenjo, were arrested on Tuesday in the southern port city of Karachi. They are now remanded in custody for two weeks by a city court.

On Wednesday, the US President George W. Bush and President Pervez Musharraf spoke over the phone for the first time since the weekend. President Musharraf defended his move to impose emergency rule, giving the hostile judiciary and rising militancy as reasons. President Bush, on his part, urged Musharraf to quit as army chief and hold elections.

German reaction

Meanwhile in Germany, the parliament held a discussion on Pakistan’s situation. The German MPs condemned the detention of opposition supporters and members of the judiciary in Pakistan and called on President Musharraf to restore constitutional rule.

German foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier said: "The pictures and NEWS that we have received from Pakistan in recent days have been quite worrying. The imposition of emergency rule is not only a severe setback to democracy in Pakistan, but also threatens the country's long-term stability."

Steinmeier added that if Musharraf failed to return the country to democracy, Germany's relations with Pakistan might be affected. He said that Germany would re-examine its arms exports to Pakistan and would restrict economic assistance to only those projects which benefit the population.