Pakistani city roads blocked ahead of judge visit

Karachi, May 12: Many roads in the Pakistani city of Karachi were blocked today apparently aimed at disrupting plans by the country's suspended chief justice to hold a rally with his supporters.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who the government suspended on March 9 over undisclosed charges of misconduct, was due to fly to Karachi from the capital, Islamabad, later today and address lawyers at the city-centre High Court.

A pro-government political party that runs Pakistan's biggest city are planning to hold a rival demonstration in the city to protest against Chaudhry and what it calls the political tricks of his supporters.

The government's suspension of Chaudhry has outraged the judiciary and the opposition, and has blown up into the most serious challenge to President Prevez Musharraf's authority since he seized power in 1999.

Senior city police officer Mushtaq Shah said he did not know who had parked trucks and oil tankers and placed containers across city roads, virtually sealing of the airport, the High Court and much of the city centre.

He said police would try to remove them.

But a government official, who declined to be identified, said authorities had blocked the roads in the interests of maintaining order.

Authorities had suggested that Chaudhry travel from the airport into the city centre by helicopter, he said.

Saturday has been declared a public holiday because of the rallies and the city's streets were largely deserted.

Four Wounded

Opposition leaders said police detained hundreds of their activists yesterday, drove off others trying to set up rallying points along the airport road, and tore down banners put up to welcome Chaudhry.

Authorities confirmed some activists had been detained.

Pakistani police often detain activists briefly in advance of protests in an effort to maintain order.

Four people were wounded in firing near the airport early on Saturday but it was not known who they were or who attacked them, Shah said.

Chaudhry's visit to Pakistan's biggest city is the latest in a series of protests by the opposition and lawyers calling for his reinstatement.

Attorneys for Chaudhry said the judge would go ahead with his visit to Karachi despite worry about clashes and a request from the provincial government to cancel the trip because of terrorism fears.

The provincial government said this week terrorists might take advantage of the situation and police said they had arrested a dozen people planning to attack Chaudhry's rally.

Chaudhry denies wrongdoing and has refused to resign.

The crisis has erupted in the run-up to a general election and an anticipated attempt by Musharraf, an important US ally, to secure another term.

Musharraf, who is also army chief, is due to seek re-election in September or October and wants to be re-elected by the national and provincial assemblies before they are dissolved for elections due around the turn of the year.

Analysts say his main motive in seeking the removal of the independent-minded Chaudhry is to have a more pliable man in place in case of a constitutional challenge to his plans.

While Chaudhry meets his supporters in the southern city, Musharraf was due to hold a rally in the capital, Islamabad.

Reuters

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