The text of presidential reference, filed by the government against chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, was published by a couple of major national dailies on Wednesday. The reference dilates to extraordinary lengths on Chaudhry’s efforts to induct his son in police besides misuse of official vehicles, excessive emphasis on protocol and charges that his verbal judgement, in certain cases, controverted with the text.

Chaudhry’s attorney Aitzaz Ahsan has demanded an open trial. The government has insisted that under the rules framed by Justice Iftikhar himself, the trial will be held in camera, though it is the discretion of the supreme judicial council to determine how the media reports it. Aitzaz said the council had discretionary power under the rule to respect the request of the chief justice.

“The 17-page reference has 11 pages on Justice Chaudhry’s alleged abuse of office to get his son appointed to a senior position in the police in contravention to all rules and regulations,” The Dawn reported.

Rest of the reference deals with allegations relating to Iftikhar marshaling a fleet of cars contrary to the rules, insistence on protocol and security escorts, using planes and helicopters to which he was not entitled and a BMW car owned by a member of his family.

“Justice Chaudhry unlawfully used his position to influence, harass and intimidate all concerned and compelled them to act in an unlawful manner,” the reference alleged.

This is for the first time since March 9 that contents of the reference have been revealed in the media amid repeated demands by Justice Chaudhry’s counsels for an open hearing into the charges of misconduct and misuse of authority against the judge. 

With lawyers forcing a complete shutdown of courts across the country, political parties joined the legal fraternity, albeit with somewhat discordant note, to stage rallies in protest against the removal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

The government had pre-empted plans for protest by securing abrupt adjournment of hearing of the presidential reference fixed for Wednesday till April 3 despite protest by defence lawyers.

Acting Chief Justice Javed Iqbal flew to Quetta despite the defence team's declaration that it would go to the Supreme Court at the appointed time on Wednesday and seek clarification for the sudden adjournment. In major towns, including Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, the lawyers made an impressive demonstration of unity and rage over what they denounced as General Musharraf's attack on the independence of the judiciary. They kept their processions separate from rallies by political parties while emphasising that their main focus was on the restoration of dignity and independence of the judiciary.

Meanwhile, the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Rana Bhagwandas, flew into Karachi on Wednesday afternoon after spending about three weeks in India, in religious meditation aloof from public eyes. He refused to talk to the media in New Delhi.

An enterprising correspondent of a Pakistan TV channel flew to New Delhi and travelled with Rana, but the judge told him he would only be able to say something after assessing the situation.

According to the correspondent, Rana Bhagwandas was called to the cockpit where he talked to somebody from Pakistan for nearly 25 minutes but parried questions about the identity of the caller and content of his conversation.

On arrival in Karachi, Rana drove down to his city residence despite speculations he would be flown to Islamabad to take over as the acting Chief Justice.

The authorities relaxed restrictions on public rallies and the police kept a respectable distance. As a result, the demonstrations across the country remained peaceful except in Quetta.

At least 12 persons, including two women, were killed and dozens other sustained serious injuries in a clash between Maoists and activists affiliated with the agitating Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) in Gaur, district headquarters of Rautahat, about 250 km south of Kathmandu, on Wednesday, said the United Nation office of high commissioner for human rights (UNOHCHR), Nepal.

According to a police officer at the Rautahat district police office, 10 men and two women killed in the exchange of fire and dozens others injured at the rice mills area of Gaur at around 2.30 pm on Wednesday.

Several injured persons have been admitted to Gaur hospital, and a dozen critically injured have been sent to hospitals in Birgunj and Kathmandu.

Hospital sources said some victims died as a result of head injuries caused by beatings with bamboo lathis. Dozens of other people were admitted to hospital, some with serious head injuries.

According to local correspondent of The Kathmandu Post Shiva Puri, all deceased have been identified as Maoist activists. Both Maoists and MPRF activists clashed and opened fire over a dispute of using the same venue to organise their separate mass meetings, where a Maoist lawmaker Prabhu Shah and MPRF chairman Upendra Yadav were supposed to address their mass meetings, respectively, the police said.

While the Maoist activists were preparing the stage occupying the open space, which was booked by the MPRF a week ago, latter’s supporters intervened and dismantled former’s podium, Puri said.

Following the incident, the administration has announced a 13-hour curfew in Gaur effective from 2.45 pm on Wednesday to 4 am on Thursday.

For the past two months the MPRF, an organisation formed under the leadership of Upendra Yadav, who had quit the Maoists a few years ago, has been carrying out violent agitation.

London, March 21
One of six men accused of conspiring to bomb London’s public transport system has told a court that he abandoned a bid to set off a fake bomb on a subway train but later detonated the device by accident on a bus.

Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, said he had intended to set off the device, hich he says was a hoax bomb not intended to hurt anyone, on the London Underground, but changed his mind because it was too crowded.

“Thought I might get caught so I decided to call it off,” Ibrahim told the jury of nine women and three men at London’s Woolwich Crown Court yesterday.

Ibrahim and five others are being tried on charges of conspiring to bomb the British capital’s transport system on July 21, 2005, two weeks after four suicide bombers killed themselves and 52 bus and subway passengers.

As on July 7, the July 21, devices were carried onto three subway trains and a bus. Prosecutors say the plot failed only because, by chance, the main charge of the bombs failed to explode. — AP