Pakistani Judges Quit in Top Judge Row

"It's a political issue, a political fight ... we have to intensify street protests," Ahmed said.

"I have talked to Justice Jawad Khawaja who confirmed he has resigned," Munir Malik, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told Agence France Presse (AFP).

The Lahore High Court Judge's decision came to protest the removal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry and the government's mishandling of the furor.

"Justice Khawaja told me that he resigned over police excesses including tear gas shelling inside the High Court building and baton charge of lawyers," Malik said.

Musharraf suspended the chief justice on March 9 and referred him to a judicial panel on charges of misconduct and abuse of power.

Observers believe the military ruler, who assumed power in bloodless coup in 1999, is trying to intimidate the strong-willed judge to pave the way for his re-election by parliament later this year.

Under an agreement reached in 2004, Musharraf should have chosen between the two posts of president and chief-of-staff by the end of that year.

He has not since then.

Many also believe independent-minded Chaudry was being punished for refusing to toe the official line on several issues including the disappearances of hundreds of Pakistanis accused of terror links as well as high-profile corruption cases.

Resignation Wave

Separately, the advocate general of southern Sindh province, Anwar Mansoor, confirmed the resignations of two judges in the southern city of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, and another in the town of Pannu Aqil.

"My conscience does not allow me to continue as a judicial officer," one of the judges, Ashraf Yar Khan, an assistant sessions judge in Karachi, said in a statement.

"Two more judges resigned later" in Karachi, a court official told AFP, requesting anonymity.

A civil judge in the central Pakistani city of Bahawalpur resigned last week while a public prosecutor told reporters that he was also quitting.

The wave of resignations came as judicial workers paralyzed court proceedings across the country for the ninth day.

Thousands of lawyers and politicians vowed nonstop rallies and hunger strikes to mark the swell of anger toward Musharraf.

"It's a political issue, a political fight ... we have to intensify street protests," said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the president of Pakistan's main alliance of religious parties, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

"This struggle can take us to our destination," he added.

Ahmed was briefly arrested during Friday's massive protests when riot police fired tear gas and arrested dozens of Pakistanis.

"We will have second and even third lines of leadership to lead the rallies if our leaders are arrested," Shahid Shamsi, a MMA spokesman, told AFP.

Keep Away  

"We do not expect comments from the international community about that," Aslam said. (Reuters)

The defiant Islamabad government warned the international community not to interfere in the controversy.

"There have been comments by media of course and also by some human rights organizations and bodies. What I would say is that this is a matter which is sub judice," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam.

"I cannot comment on that and we will not like others to comment on it."

The United States, a major ally of Musharraf, has criticized Chaudry's ouster and called for cool heads to prevail.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the judicial crisis was a "matter of deep concern" that should be settled "in a way that is completely transparent and in accordance with Pakistan's laws."

The New York-based Human Rights Watch and several rights bodies have also spoken out against the use of excessive force to cow the media and the protestors.

A group of prominent British lawyers, including Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie, also voiced concern over Musharraf's decision.

The foreign minister spokeswoman insisted the standoff was an internal affair.

"We do not expect comments from the international community about that."