Pakistan drops one accusation against judge

Islamabad, July 16: Pakistan's government today withdrew an accusation of judicial misconduct against the country's chief justice although he still faces other accusations that the Supreme Court is due to rule on this week.

President Pervez Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on March 9 after drawing up a set of accusations -- known as a reference -- against him.

The judge's suspension touched off a protest campaign by lawyers defending the independence of the judiciary. They were joined by opposition parties seeking an end to army chief Musharraf's eight-year rule.

A lawyer representing Musharraf in the case, Sharifuddin Pirzada, told the Supreme Court the president had asked that an accusation against Chaudhry -- that there were times when the judge gave differing written and verbal orders -- be withdrawn.

''We are withdrawing this portion of the reference on the instruction of the president,'' Pirzada told the court. He did not elaborate.

The Supreme Court is expected to give a ruling on the president's reference against Chaudhry this week.

The government has not officially disclosed the accusations against Chaudhry, but newspapers have reported the main one appeared to be that he used his influence to help his son get a government job.

The government filed a separate statement in the Supreme Court last month accusing Chaudhry of fiddling expenses, harassing judges, showing bias in appointments and intimidating police and civil servants.

The uproar over Chaudhry's suspension snowballed into the most serious challenge to Musharraf's rule since he seized power in a military coup in 1999, and comes in the run-up to elections, due late this year.

Many analysts say Musharraf's main motive for seeking to dismiss Chaudhry stemmed from doubts the judge would be supportive in the event of constitutional challenges to the president's election plans.

Musharraf is expected to seek re-election by sitting national and provincial assemblies, before they are dissolved for a general election.

There are also doubts he will give up his army post, which he is constitutionally required to do by the end of the year.

Reuters>