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Protests and arrests mark Pakistani judge's hearing

Pakistani paramilitary troops stand guard outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad yesterday. Police sealed off part of Pakistan's capital before a court hearing involving the country's top judge, who was sacked by the president a week ago. PHOTO: AP

Pakistani riot police fired tear gas and arrested a top Islamist leader yesterday amid protests against the sacking of the country's top judge.

The government moved to sack Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary a week ago, sparking protests from lawyers and opposition parties against President Pervez Musharraf, who is expected to seek election for another term late this year.

The demonstrations came hours before Chaudhry was due to attend a hearing at the Supreme Court in the capital into misconduct charges laid by Musharraf a week ago.

The opposition says Musharraf is trying to intimidate the judiciary before they hear key issues -- including his planned re-election by parliament and his dual position as president and army chief -- later this year.

The US said the judicial dispute was a "matter of deep concern," while rights groups have warned of a constitutional crisis.

Some people in a crowd of around 500 hardline Islamists, lawyers and opposition political activists threw stones and bottles at police several hundred yards from the Supreme Court building.

As police sirens wailed, other protesters ran from billowing clouds of choking tear gas across a patch of open ground just outside a security cordon set up by security forces.

Police seized Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the president of Pakistan's main alliance of religious parties, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or United Action Front, after he tried to break through the security cordon, witnesses said.

Another eight Islamist activists were also arrested, officials said.

Allegations against Chaudhary have been vague.

The state-run APP news agency cited "misconduct and misuse of authority."

Authorities banned a popular talk show on the private GEO television news channel amid a flood of scathing media criticism of the government's move against Chaudhary.

The handling of the case has fueled suspicion that Musharraf feared the independent-minded judge would oppose any move by him to retain his role as army chief, which constitutionally he should relinquish this year.

Police were also out in force in the eastern city of Lahore, where lawyers and police clashed on Monday.

Lahore police detained Liaqat Baloch, a leader of the Islamist party alliance, an aide said. Police said they had detained about 125 political activists.

Earlier, Baloch said police had sealed off his home. He was later taken into detention, an aide said.

Chaudhary has already told the panel of five judges sitting on the Supreme Judicial Council that he does not expect a fair hearing.

"My struggle is not for politics," Chaudhary told the Nation newspaper. "I had an easy way out by resigning but I decided to protect the respect of the judiciary and my personal honor."
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