Political crisis in Pakistan shuts down judiciary

Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, is facing one of the most brazen challenges to his seven-year rule, as a battle of wills with the country's Chief Justice, Mohammed Chaudhry, has escalated into a powerful protest movement that has caught the government by surprise. Musharraf tried to remove his critic on Mar. 9 when he summoned Chaudhry to army headquarters in Rawalpindi and asked him to resign. At the same time a new chief justice was being sworn into office at the supreme court in Islamabad. But Chaudhry refused to resign, triggering a panicked response that further damaged the general's democratic credentials. The defiant stand has turned the 58-year-old judge into an unlikely popular hero. "He took a lot of strong decisions to free victims of this government. He is very good," said Farooq, a barber in Islamabad, as he watched a televised debate. Justice Chaudhry irritated the government with a succession of bold decisions. In August he overturned the privatization of the country's largest steel mills after corruption allegations surfaced, a decision that stung the prime minister, Shaukat Aziz. More recently he has taken a strong stance on the "disappeared"–hundreds of people who have been illegally abducted by shadowy security forces, held incommunicado without trial, and in some cases tortured. After Chaudhary refused to resign, he was confined to his home with police blocking almost all access to him. He has made two appearances before a panel of judges considering the case against him. On Mar. 16, the panel ordered restrictions on him lifted and one of his lawyers said he was now free to meet with anyone. The government denied he had ever been under house arrest. Authorities have released no details of the accusations against Chaudhary but a state news agency cited "misconduct and misuse of authority." As a result, the Judiciary system of Pakistan has come to a halt, with lawyers and many judges observing a strike thoughout the country's courts. Political analysts say the uproar presents Musharraf with the largest challenge to his authority since he came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999. Since Gen Musharraf–a commando by training–seized power in 1999, civilians in the bureaucracy and judiciary have meekly obeyed his orders. Analysts say he has badly miscalculated this time. "It was an arrogant move that has eroded his credibility. Everything that has happened since reeks of panic," said Abbas Nasir, editor of Dawn newspaper. When Justice Chaudhry tried to walk from his home to the supreme court on Mar. 13, police bundled him into a car. But at the court the judge received a victor's welcome. Hundreds of lawyers pressed around, cheering raucously and showering him with rose petals. Some jumped on to the roof of the government vehicle and smashed its windows. On Mar. 15, the government media regulator ordered Geo television to take a popular talk show, which intended to discuss the controversy, off the air. "This raises serious questions about how much freedom is allowed when the subject is too close to home," said Imran Aslam, president of Geo. On Mar. 16 hundreds of lawyers and opposition politicians pushed past police barricades and gathered outside the supreme court where a panel of senior judges started disciplinary hearings against Justice Chaudhry, who was greeted with roars of approval. During the clashes, the Pakistani TV station Geo was attacked by riot police who raided the building, smashing equipment and saturating the offices with tear gas. The station was broadcasting live images of the protest when it was attacked. Journalists filming from the roof reported that police fired rubber bullets and tear gas in an attempt to knock out their cameras. "The police entered the newsroom and told us to get out," said Rashida Shoaib, a Geo reporter. "They were demanding that we stop the live coverage and they baton-charged us," she added, as she joined colleagues in an impromptu demonstration outside the offices. More than 100 journalists gathered outside the Geo building shouting slogans against the government after the police raid. "Look, this is our government's freedom of press," said producer Qaisar Butt, standing amid glass shards in an office that smelled of tear gas. The neighboring office of the News Daily which, like the Geo, belongs to the Jang group, was also damaged by police. Musharraf later rang the television station to make an unprecedented live apology. "The first thing is that it was a very sad incident. It should have not happened, and I condemn it," he said, vowing to "take action" against the culprits. Prime Minister Aziz also visited Geo TV's studios the following day to express his regret, and the government fired 15 officers involved in the raid. Mar. 17 saw a continuation of rioting as police lobbed tear gas canisters at lawyers in business suits who responded by throwing rocks, according to witness accounts and television footage. Rashed Rahman, executive editor of the Post newspaper in Lahore, said that about 100 lawyers were injured when police charged them with batons. He said police later ransacked about two dozen offices belonging to the protesters. "The police apparently had orders to stop the protests at any cost, and they came out swinging," he said. "The level of violence has clearly escalated." A Minister of Parliament claimed he had been beaten by police at the demonstrations. Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the head of the MMA, a coalition of Islamist political parties, was arrested along with at least seven other Ministers of Parliament. In Lahore a former president of Pakistan, Rafiq Tarar, was bundled into a police vehicle and driven away while leading a demonstration. Musharraf, accused of acting unconstitutionally in trying to sack Chaudhary, said he would not interfere with the judicial panel hearing the case against Chaudhary, which meets again on March 21.