Text messages started to fly around Pakistan a little after midnight on Sept. 22 as the government began detaining or arresting what would become nearly 100 opposition activists. "Has Mush gone mad?" asked a critic of President Pervez Musharraf. "Let them do their worst," another texted. "We will carry on." The arrests come as Pakistan's embattled leader is expected to meet a Sept. 27 deadline for filing paperwork required to compete in the Oct. 6 election. Critics say his candidacy violates a constitutional provision that until recently barred military members from running for office.
As Pakistan's Supreme Court considers the latest...