Fears of a Military Coup in Pakistan

(CNN) Following the news of the sacking of the army chief Gen. Pervaiz
Musharraf, the army took control of key government and public
buildings in the Pakistani capital, including Prime Minster Nawaz
Sharif's official residence. The army then shut down Islamabad's
airport and official radio and television, and reportedly arrested
Information Minister Mushahid Hussein. Troops also surrounded the home
of Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz and were said to have taken over a
number of other important buildings in Islamabad, Lahore and
Karachi. Witnesses reported hearing shots fired in an Islamabad suburb
after the troop deployment.

Sharif was at his residence when the army made its move, reportedly
meeting with the country's secret service head, Gen. Ziauddin, the
man he named to replace Musharraf as head of Pakistan's
military. Musharraf had been out of the country on a visit to Sri
Lanka. He arrived back in Islamabad Tuesday and was seen going into a
meeting with the army's top generals. Television and radio broadcasts
ended when the army seized the broadcas facilities. Mobile phone
service was also cut. Military sources told reporters the moves were
"precautionary measures" to safeguard important facilities from public
reaction to Musharraf's dismissal. The sources would not
elaborate. Sharif's office, contacted by CNN, said it would have no
comment. At the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, officials said the foreign
minister was in a meeting.

Musharraf's dismissal, announced on state-run television as an early
retirement, came as a surprise. Musharraf's term as army chief was to
have ended in April 2000. Defense sources said Sharif also dismissed
Chief of General Staff Mohammed Aziz.