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| Suspended CJ appears for trial amid protests | | |
K J M VARMA, ISLAMABAD, APR 3
Pakistan's suspended Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikar M Chaudhry today appeared before the Supreme Judicial Council in a charged up atmosphere as hundreds of lawyers and opposition activists staged a protest outside the apex court, despite a massive security clampdown.
Accompanied by his lawyers, Justice Chaudhry, who was removed by President Pervez Musharraf on March nine, sparking violent protests in the country, was mobbed by supporters on his arrival at the Court to attend the third hearing into allegations that he abused his office.
Police used batons to disperse over 500 protesters who shouted slogans like "Musharraf, killer of justice," and "Go Musharraf, go" and tried to enter the Court.
Chaudhry appeared before the five-member Supreme Judicial Council which is now headed by Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas who replaced Justice Javed Iqbal on March 22.
In the face of violent protests in major cities, the hearing slated for March 21 had earlier been put off. Ahead of today's hearing, hundreds of police and para military personnel were deployed in and around the Court.
Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) President Qazi Hussain Ahmed and over two hundred activists of various opposition outfits were taken into preventive custody to prevent them from taking part in the protests. During the previous two sittings, police and opposition protesters had fought pitched battles in Islamabad and Lahore.
Party activists of MMA, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and cricketer turned politician Imran Khan's Justice Party took part in the protests besides lawyers from different bar councils.
Chaudhry's lawyer Atejaz Hassas said that Justice Chaudhry would today demand an open trial.
He would also raise questions as to whether the SJC was empowered to conduct the trial and his objections about two judges in the SJC against whom he had launched disciplinary proceedings in the past.
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