Protests by opposition parties and legal fraternity to show solidarity with non-functional Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry here Friday turned violent when clashes broke out between angry demonstrators and law enforcement agencies.
The violent clashes erupted hours before the Supreme Judicial Council resumed the hearing of the presidential reference against the non-functional chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Politicians, lawyers, human rights activists, trade unions and media persons were also not spared by the police who brutally baton charged the demonstrators and attacked a private television channel office manhandling the staff.
Despite sweeping security restrictions, hundreds of protestors including political workers and lawyers rallied to fully support Iftikhar Chaudhry who once again received hero's welcome in front of the Supreme Court. Security forces had blocked all the highways leading to the venue, fired tear-gas shells and brutally beat the protestors.
However, hundreds of lawyers, political workers, traders and human rights activists managed to reach Supreme Court building despite all security measures. Violent clashes took place on all the entry points of the federal capital where heavy contingent of police and Rangers baton charged scores of people who were trying to come to the Supreme Court building.
There were terrible scenes on Fazal-e-Haq Road, yards away from the Constitution Avenue and the Parliament Lodges-where clashes between policemen and protestors went on till evening. The government employees faced difficulties to reach their offices located at Pakistan Secretariat and business activities in the Blue Area were also badly affected.
This time around, political parties including Pakistan Peoples Party fully took part in the protest outside the Supreme Court. Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Raza Rabbani and others led the protest rally along with PML-N parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali and Khwaja Asif. Angry protestors chanted slogans against President General Pervez Musharraf and demanded reinstatement of non-functional Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. They raised slogans "Go Musharraf Go" and "Reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry".
When Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry arrived at the scene, lawyers, politicians and trade union workers welcomed him and surrounded his vehicle. They remained present outside the Supreme Court to assure their all-out support to 'suspended' Chief Justice. They offered Juma prayer at Constitution Avenue and burnt tyres near Parliament Lodges to vent their anger against present rulers.
Meanwhile, the Punjab policemen attacked a private television channel office and mishandled the staff members who were performing their duties. Politicians and journalists present in front of the Supreme Court rushed to the scene and saw the police in action with awe.
Speaking on the occasion, political figures and journalists termed it as an 'organised' attack to force the media not to report any anti-government story. They censured government's tall claims of press freedom and demanded immediate inquiry of the incident.
Security forces picked up dozens of lawyers and opposition leaders to prevent them from staging demonstrations over the filing of presidential reference against the country's Chief Justice.
Security was on high alert throughout the day on Friday in Islamabad, where the 'non-functional' Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was due to appear before the Supreme Judicial Council.
Around 30 people including Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal President Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Dr Farid Ahmed Piracha, Liaquat Baloch and others were apprehended.
Opposition parties and lawyers had announced a countrywide strike on Friday. MMA leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed had planned to lead Friday prayers in front of Supreme Court, though Islamabad police banned gatherings of more than five people and plan to deploy 4,000 police personnel on duty to maintain law and order.
However, security forces backed by commandos prevented Qazi Hussain from doing so and after long battle drove him away from the scene.
The opposition and lawyers accused President Musharraf for intimidating the judiciary before they hear the key issues-including his planned re-election by the present parliament and his dual role as president and army chief-later this year.
Musharraf spoke about the issue for the first time on Thursday, telling a public meeting that he would accept whatever decision emerges from the ongoing judicial inquiry and that he would address the nation on the outcome. General Hamid Gul, former head of ISI, confronted police near the Supreme Court building and called for General Musharraf's resignation.
"He ought to resign otherwise the nation's flared up sentiments cannot be placated and it has the potential for a civil war in it unfortunately," Gul said. Main opposition parties also made full use of country's worst judicial crises to their advantage when they demonstrated street power to show 'questionable solidarity' with the non-functional Chief Justice.
Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, which have been struggling to show strength during last four years, have a heyday to promote their own cause under the pretext of protesting over the filing of presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Opposition leaders including Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khawja Asif, Tehmina Daultana, Raza Rabbani, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Naheed Khan along with their party activists spent almost the whole day in front of Supreme Court building to show their political muscle.
"Go Musharraf go and no to military dictatorship," were the common slogans being shouted by opposition leaders along with their party workers in front of heavy media presence.