By DPA
Islamabad : Thousands of lawyers and opposition activists held rallies in the Pakistani capital Saturday evening to support suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry as he was to address diplomats and the legal fraternity in the city.
Chaudhry's removal on March 9 over the misuse of office sparked countrywide demonstrations by lawyers' organizations and opposition parties in recent weeks, creating a major political crisis for President General Pervez Musharraf since he took over power in a coup in 1999.
The protesters chanted slogans "Go Musharraf go" and "Restore our chief justice" as they marched in front of the Supreme Court building, where Chaudhry was to speak in a seminar on "Separation of powers and independence of judiciary".
Scores of security personnel were deployed around the building, but they did not try to stop anyone reaching the venue.
The country's renowned human rights advocate Hina Jeelani led hundreds of lawyers who arrived here from Lahore to express solidarity with the judge. "The suspension of the chief justice was an attack on the judiciary's independence. We will not rest till he is restored," she told the rally.
Hundreds of more lawyers were accompanying Chaudhry in a slow moving motor convoy as he left for the court's auditorium, where among others the ambassadors of Norway and Denmark were waiting for his address.
The growing political movement around the judge's suspension turned violent May 12 as pro-government activists clashed with opposition workers in Karachi, leaving more than 40 people dead.
Under pressure from members of his government and the ruling party to end the case against Chaudhry, Musharraf has said a judicial matter was being politicised only to undermine his power.
However, Chaudhry's supporters say the issue was necessarily political from the outset.
"Democracy cannot flourish without independent judiciary. Our struggle for its sovereignty is in fact an endeavour for a viable political system in the country. Pakistan's constitution itself is a political document," Chaudhry's defence counsel Tariq Mehmud said.
Critics say Musharraf removed the independently minded judge to prevent any legal attempt to block his efforts of re-election from the existing parliament at the end of this year.