ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Cabinet have been dismissed, army-controlled television said today. Troops took control of airports and government buildings throughout the country.
A message scrolled across the television screen announcing that Sharif's government had been ousted. It said Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf, who had been fired hours before by Sharif, would address the nation in a broadcast speech.
In reaction to Musharraf's dismissal, troops quickly seized television and radio stations across the country, temporarily halting transmissions, and took over major airports.
Troops cordoned off Sharif in his residency in Islamabad, took over the houses of several other top ministers and seized other government buildings.
Sharif fired Musharraf while the military leader was on a visit to Sri Lanka. Soon afterward, army personnel moved rapidly though the capital, seizing important buildings and putting state-run television off the air.
Musharraf flew back to Pakistan later in the day and was met by a large contingent of soldiers at the airport in the southern city of Karachi. He was seen leaving the airport, which was also closed by the military, accompanied by several jeeps filled with soldiers.