Protests in Pakistan as case against judge resumes

Islamabad, Apr 24: A legal battle resumed between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and a top judge he is trying to sack with thousands of lawyers and political activists protesting today outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad.

Musharraf plunged the country into a judicial crisis on March 9 by suspending Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and ordering a panel of judges to hold an inquiry into misconduct charges against him.

Chanting ''Go Musharraf go'' and other slogans, lawyers and activists swarmed round Chaudhry's car as the small, moustachioed judge arrived at the court building.

''This rally is aimed at sending a message to judiciary that it should not take orders from GHQ (army headquarters),'' Imran Khan, an opposition leader and a former Pakistan cricket captain, told reporters outside the Supreme Court.

''The judiciary should work for the sake of country and not for a military dictator.'' Pakistan's legal community regards Musharraf's action as an attack on independence of judiciary, while Chaudhry's defiance of the president has provided a Musharraf's opponents with a ready-made cause in an election year.

The inquiry into the misconduct charges against Chaudhry is being conducted by a panel of five judges on the Supreme Judicial Council, and Tuesday's hearing would be the sixth since proceedings first began last month.

Chaudhry has challenged the competency of the panel to hear the case, claiming that three panel members are biased against him.

And before Tuesday's hearing commenced, the Supreme Court was due to decide on a petition from Chaudhry that it should hear the case against him and not the judicial council.

The government has not specified the accusations against Chaudhry, but a newspaper has reported the main one appeared to be that he pulled rank to help his son get a public sector job.

Scores of police and paramilitary troops with batons, helmets and riot shields stood at the roadside outside the court as protesters carrying staves thronged the broad avenue lined with government buildings.

Liaquat Baluch, a senior leader of Islamist opposition alliance, said police had rounded up a large number of their activists to prevent them from attending the rally.

But despite the detentions there were up to 3,000 lawyers and activists from all opposition parties in the flag and banner-waving crowd.

To counter the opposition, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League held a pro-Musharraf rally nearby. Musharraf, himself, is in Poland on the first leg of trip to four European nations.

Protests have accompanied every hearing so far, but they have not spun out of control or resulted in mass demonstrations against the government.

Analysts say while the judicial crisis has weakened Musharraf's standing, he will weather the storm because of support from the army.

Analysts have speculated that the move to sack the independent-minded Chaudhry might be motivated by fears that he would not allow Musharraf to duck a commitment to quit as army chief this year.

Musharraf plans to seek another term as president, with elections to the national and provincial assemblies due later this year or early 2008.

Speculation is rife that Musharraf is reaching out to self-exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto for a possible deal to form a common front against conservative religious forces. But, analysts say the case of the chief justice will have to be resolved before any such deal could be reached.

Reuters>