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LAHORE - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis waited through the night to greet the judge who defied President General Pervez Musharraf as he inched towards the city of Lahore at the head of a caravan carrying supporters and media yesterday.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had set out more than 20 hours earlier from the capital, Islamabad, but Lahore is considered the country's political nerve centre and his reception there is seen as a test of his backing.
The legal community and opposition see Musharraf's move to sack Chaudhry for misconduct as an attack on the independence of the judiciary. He was due to address Lahore's legal community later yesterday.
Chaudhry's refusal to resign in the face of charges of misconduct, and the widespread sympathy for his stand, have created the most serious challenge to Musharraf's authority since he seized power seven years ago.
Musharraf has accused lawyers of "politicising" a judicial matter by holding protests.
- REUTERS
