Pakistan riot police storm TV station

[EagleEyes]

Pakistan riot police storm TV station

Islamabad • Pakistani police fired teargas, detained about 150 activists and raided a television station yesterday as protesters took to the streets to denounce the government’s suspension of the country’s chief judge.

The government moved to sack Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry a week ago, sparking protests by lawyers and uniting disparate opposition parties against President Pervez Musharraf, who is expected to seek election for another term late this year.

A panel of judges considering the case against Chaudhry at a hearing at the Supreme Court ordered restrictions on him be lifted, Chaudhary’s lawyers said.

“We can say it is a step forward,” one of his lawyers, Tariq Mehmud, told reporters. The next hearing is on March 21.

Chaudhry, who refused to resign, has been confined to his home since his March 9 suspension. He has been allowed out only to attend sessions of the panel hearing his case, although authorities deny he is under house arrest.

Riot police stormed a private television channel’s offices and tear-gassed employees after its editors refused to stop broadcasting pictures of protests in Islamabad over moves to sack the country’s top judge.

Geo News Bureau Chief Hamid Mir said the police broke windows, scuffled with staff and released teargas in the office, as the hearing against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry resumed in the nearby Supreme Court.

“They tried to drag me out,” Mir said on air during the raid. “They’re demanding a camera installed on the roof should be removed.”

The channel was able to broadcast live pictures of the helmeted police carrying shields and batons bursting into the channel’s building, and Geo vehicles parked outside were damaged.

Later, Musharraf personally apologised for the raid at the television station in a rare live telephone interview with the channel.

“I would like to apologise, such an incident should not have happened. The culprits must be identified and punished today,” Musharraf told one of the channel’s anchormen.

He said he would be “personally involved” in taking action following the incident, adding that he had already given orders for the station to be compensated.

“Safeguarding human rights is our mandate. I therefore strongly condemn this violation. This is such a big incident which should not have happened,” he said.

Musharraf said it was possible the attack was part of a “conspiracy” against him, adding: “In my view this is a sabotage of the whole process. I would say it is a sabotage of whatever we stand for, whatever we are doing.”

The government has released no details of the accusations against Chaudhry but a state news agency cited “misconduct and misuse of authority”. There has been no indication how long his hearing will last.

The affair has fuelled suspicion that Musharraf feared the independent-minded judge would oppose any move by him to retain his role as army chief, which constitutionally the president should relinquish this year.

A US official said on Thursday the United States was watching. The United States sees Musharraf as a vital ally in the war on terrorism while it also encourages democracy.

Hundreds of police were on the streets of Islamabad, using concrete blocks and coils of barbed wire to seal off the city centre, including the Supreme Court.

Despite the cordon, about 600 lawyers in business suits, bearded Islamist politicians and liberal party supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court chanting “Go Musharraf Go!”

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Di...th=March2007&file=World_News2007031723225.xml

 

[Bull]

If Mushraf had backed off from the decision after seeing the initial days of protests, he might have become stronger. But now it looks like all his 'enemies' have joined hands with the lawyers protesting against the decision.

Its too late to back off now now, he has to go the distance.