Police Officials Suspended in Pakistan Over Battle With Lawyers

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Source: New York Times

By SALMAN MASOOD
Published: October 2, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 1 — The chief justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the suspensions of the Islamabad police chief and two other senior law enforcement officials on Monday after a weekend in which police officers attacked journalists and protesting lawyers.

On Saturday, dozens of lawyers were beaten as they protested a bid for re-election by the president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Riot police officers used batons and tear gas against journalists and the lawyers, who were chased into the Supreme Court building.

The lawyers were protesting the legality of General Musharraf’s re-election effort, but on Monday the Election Commission issued the final list of five candidates, which included the president. The two main challengers of the president are a retired judge, Wajihuddin Ahmed, and Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the vice chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, led by the former prime minister Bebazir Bhutto. The election is set for this Saturday.

The police officials’ suspensions were ordered by the chief justice, Mohammed Ikram Chaudhry, who was reinstated by the Supreme Court in July after fending off an attempt by General Musharraf to dismiss him. He led a three-member panel during the hearing on Monday in a packed courtroom ...

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/world/asia/02pakistan.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin