Islamabad - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Monday
stood by his decision to suspend the country's top judge and gave a
clear warning to opposition forces not to hijack an issue that has
sparked violent scenes in recent days.
'Protest is a right, I only hope that people understand they
shouldn't go beyond protest,' the president said in a televised
interview with the private Geo news channel, which was raided last
week by police for its frank coverage of events.
'Don't pressurize the judiciary, don't get involved in political
activity,' he said. 'The government will not let you politicize and
take political advantage in this very judicial and constitutional
case.'
Meanwhile, thousands of lawyers continued protests in Pakistani
cities against Musharraf's decision on March 9 to refer Chief Justice
Iftikhar Chaudhry to a panel of senior judges over allegations of
misuse of office.
The step sparked claims that the move was linked with his past
decisions against the government and strong stand on human rights.
Chaudry denies any wrongdoing, while international rights and
judicial organizations have condemned the actions against him.
'A very senior man is being accused and I must find out,'
Musharraf told the channel, saying he was 'duty bound' to initiate
proceedings. 'I took the decision on my honest conscience and in the
national interest,' he said.
Elections would still be held in Pakistan this year and the army
would not be deployed in any state of emergency, the president said
amid rumours that drastic measures are planned.
The army general, who came to power in a coup in 1999, said he
remained a 'strong believer in democracy.'
Musharraf will this year seek another five-year term in an
election held within the current legislature in what the opposition
says is an unconstitutional bid to hold on to power.
The standoff assumed new dimensions Friday when police in the
capital Islamabad used tear gas and rubber bullets against rock-
throwing crowds in the capital and then rampaged in the Geo offices
which was relaying live footage of the disturbances from its roof.
Musharraf later condemned the police behaviour and a number of
officers were suspended. Chaudhry is due to appear again before a
panel of senior judges Wednesday.
The president conceded in the interview that his government had
made mistakes in handling the outcry.
The attack on the Geo channel was 'stunning' and was being
investigated, he said, describing the raid on the Islamabad office
raid as a conspiracy.
In a public address in the town of Pakpattan Saturday, Musharraf
also said people were 'doing politics and hatching conspiracies
against me and the country on an issue that is legal and
constitutional.'
There was no personal grievance against Chaudhry, and protesters
and law enforcers should show restraint and not resort to violence,
he said.
Court proceedings were again boycotted Monday amid marches and
token hunger strikes by lawyers and a spate of resignations, which
included the top judge in the central city of Lahore.
More than 7,000 members of the Bar Association also boycotted
sessions in the largest city of Karachi, and similar protests with
token hunger strikes took place in Quetta, Peshawar and Faisalabad.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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