Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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May 2, 2007

Protests Outside Pakistan Supreme Court Turn Bloody
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=174DA5C:A6F02AD83191E160AB93372306018D939574F7DCC14957C0 Police used clubs,
bamboo sticks against crowd of more than 1,000, gathered to show
support for ousted chief justice There has been another day of
anti-government protests outside Pakistan's Supreme Court. Police used
clubs and bamboo sticks against the crowd, and the opposition says
some activists were arrested to prevent them from attending the rally.
>From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports on the latest
show of support for the country's ousted chief justice.







Pakistan lawyers march on a street during an anti-government rally in
Lahore, 02 May 2007Several protesters received minor wounds after
clashing with police on Wednesday.

The violence erupted as opposition activists struggled to push past
police guarding the Supreme Court building in central Islamabad.

More than 1,000 people joined the rally to support the country's
ousted chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.

Opposition groups accuse Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf of
dismissing the judge to reassert control over the country's judicial
system ahead of national elections, which are expected some time in
the next 12 months.







Suspended Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry leaves
for Supreme Court to face the case against him, in Islamabad, 02 May
2007Inside the Supreme Court building, Chaudhry was appealing his case
in front of a five-member judicial council. The hearings were
adjourned until later this week.

President Musharraf suspended Chaudhry March 9, citing unspecified
allegations of abuse of power.

Farahtullah Babar is a senator and spokesman for the opposition
Pakistan People's Party. He says the standoff has energized the party
at the grass roots level and will remain a potent political weapon
unless the judge is reinstated.

"Now as the date for the general election draws nearer the political
activity will also step up," he said.

President Musharraf insists the judge's dismissal was both
constitutional and non-political.

He has also promised to abide by the judicial council's final judgment
on the case.

Opposition leaders say the government is acting behind the scenes to
control media coverage of the crisis and limit public protests.

The Pakistan People's Party claimed that many of its supporters were
arrested overnight Tuesday in major cities throughout the country.

And earlier this week, a leading television news channel said
government regulators threatened to revoke the station's license
unless it moderated its coverage of the controversial case.




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