Pakistanis protest suspension of judge
Friday, 22 June 2007
LAHORE, Jun 21 (AP): Thousands rallied in support of Pakistan's suspended chief justice Thursday, accusing President Gen. Pervez Musharraf of attacking the judiciary and burning a US flag to protest Washington's backing for the general's continued rule.
Musharraf, a US ally who seized power in a 1999 coup, triggered a political crisis in March when he suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry for alleged fraud and nepotism.
Chaudhry denies wrongdoing and has appealed to the Supreme Court, turning himself into a rallying point for opposition parties seeking the restoration of democracy.
On Thursday, about 5,000 lawyers, opposition supporters and human rights activists marched through the eastern city of Lahore and staged a sit-in near the provincial parliament.
Musharraf, a US ally who seized power in a 1999 coup, triggered a political crisis in March when he suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry for alleged fraud and nepotism.
Chaudhry denies wrongdoing and has appealed to the Supreme Court, turning himself into a rallying point for opposition parties seeking the restoration of democracy.
On Thursday, about 5,000 lawyers, opposition supporters and human rights activists marched through the eastern city of Lahore and staged a sit-in near the provincial parliament.