Security ahead of rival rallies over suspension of judge

(11 May 2007) SHOTLIST 1. Various top shots of downtown Karachi 2. Various of lawyers writing comments on banner to be presented to chief justice on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the Sindh High Court 3. Various of paramilitary troops standing guard at airport 4. Various of barricades at Karachi airport 5. Paramilitary troops 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jawaid Iftikhar Qazi, President of the Karachi Bar Association "To say that there is no any chance for any violence from the loyal side, because we have proved it that for the last 62 days we are agitating against the action taken on 9th March, and we have not caused the loss of even a single rupee in the public interest, or public property, or private property. And this is for the first time the government has felt more people will be gathered here to welcome the Chief Justice, compared to Lahore, so they are planning to obstruct our procession which is otherwise peaceful throughout, and we think that we'll be obstructed at the airport." 7. Exterior of Malir Court, which the Chief Justice of Pakistan will visit on Saturday morning 8. Various lawyers placing banners outside Malir Court STORYLINE: Authorities in the Pakistani city of Karachi were marshalling 15,000 security forces in a bid to prevent clashes between supporters and opponents of President General Pervez Musharraf during rival rallies triggered by the country's deepening judicial crisis. The country's military-led political order has been shaken by growing protests against Musharraf's March 9 decision to suspend the head of the Supreme Court for alleged misconduct. On Saturday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry is set to address what organisers hope will be the biggest rally yet of lawyers and opposition supporters calling for his reinstatement. Chaudhry drew nearly 20,000 sympathisers at a similar gathering last weekend in the eastern city of Lahore. However, there is concern that the demonstrators will run into trouble in downtown Karachi, the country's biggest and most volatile city, when they face off against a pro-Musharraf party with a reputation for violence. The main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, led by exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and other opposition groups have joined thousands of lawyers in a series of demonstrations around the country in the past month in which there have been skirmishes with police. But opposition leaders are alarmed that the Mutahida Qami Movement (MQM), a pro-government party with a large and often militant support base in Karachi, has announced that it will hold a massive counter-rally just one kilometre (less than a mile) from the chief justice's gathering. Officials and police said they were confident they could provide security for the chief justice and keep the rival rallies apart. Musharraf and leaders of the ruling PML-Q party are set to address a rally of their own in Islamabad on Saturday. Organisers on Friday barricaded roads in the capital's government district, where the president is due to speak. Critics accuse Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, of trying to sideline the independent-minded judge in case of legal challenges to his plan to seek a new five-year presidential term this fall. Musharraf denies the move was politically motivated, saying there is serious evidence that the judge abused his position. Analysts say Musharraf could shore up his position by sealing a pact with Bhutto to stay on as president. Her Peoples Party follows a secular, socially liberal line akin to Musharraf's calls for "enlightened moderation". Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...