AP News, May 24th, 2007
Thousands of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's opponents demonstrated in several Pakistani cities Thursday, the first street protests since a burst of political violence deepened a crisis clouding his plans to stay in power.
About 3,000 lawyers, opposition activists and civil rights campaigners gathered for about an hour in the center of the eastern city of Lahore, chanting "Musharraf, go!" and calling for the restoration of democracy.
They carried banners reading "The chief justice is the only truth in Pakistan" in defense of the head of the Supreme Court, whose suspension provoked the crisis that has become the biggest challenge to Musharraf's eight-year rule.
Lawyers and opposition parties have staged a series of protests since Musharraf ousted Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry on March 9 for allegedly abusing his office.
Political parties who have been sidelined since Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup say he wanted to get rid of the independent-minded judge in anticipation of legal challenges to his intention of seeking another five-year term while remaining head of the army.
Musharraf denies any political motive and insists he suspended the chief justice after receiving evidence that Chaudhry had abused his office.
On May 12, an abortive visit by the judge to the southern city of Karachi to address supporters prompted a counter-rally by a pro-Musharraf party that degenerated into two days of clashes and gunbattles. More than 40 people were killed.
Opposition parties have accused Musharraf of complicity in the bloodshed and staged a one-day national strike in protest.
About 200 lawyers gathered in Karachi on Thursday, raising their fists into the air and chanting.
"The blood of the May 12 martyrs has flowed into the lawyers' movement," Iftikhar Javed Qazi, president of the Karachi Bar Association, told the gathering in front of the city's press club.
Another 200 lawyers also rallied in the eastern city of Multan, burning an effigy of Musharraf.
Qazi blamed Musharraf and the Karachi-based Mutahida Qaumi Movement party _ which sits in both the regional and federal coalition governments and has a reputation for militancy _ for the bloodshed.
Addressing his own rally in the western city of Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday, Musharraf said his opponents had "politicized" Chaudhry's case and created an explosive situation in Karachi.
"I am very sad that those elements that first gave it a political color are inciting people. All the lawyers are being incited, they are bringing ruin," he said.
He has promised to respect the decision of a judicial tribunal examining the allegations against Chaudhry. Those proceedings have been stayed while the Supreme Court decides on petitions challenging the legality of Chaudhry's suspension.
In a hearing on the petitions Thursday, an attorney for Chaudhry argued the judge's suspension was done in bad faith.
Chaudhry had ruled against the government in several cases, including the privatization of a steel company, and "malice floats on the surface" of the move against the judge, Aitzaz Ahsan said.
It was unclear when the court will reach a verdict.
___
Associated Press writers Asif Shahzad in Lahore, Zarar Khan in Karachi and Sadaqat Jan in Islamabad contributed to this report.
