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ISLAMABAD : President Pervez Musharraf on Monday promised to hold elections on time and denied that he would impose a state of emergency amid a row over his removal of Pakistan's top judge.
Military ruler Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9 and ordered him to face charges of misconduct and abuse of power before the nation's supreme judicial council.
The move has sparked violent protests, including in the capital Islamabad on Friday when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and stormed the office of private Geo television.
"Elections will be held on time, this is my assurance to the nation," Musharraf told Geo in the interview, excerpts of which were broadcast on Monday.
Media outlets here have speculated that he may seek to delay general elections that are due late this year or in early 2008.
Opposition parties have also said Musharraf removed Chaudhry to ensure there would be no legal challenges to his planned re-election by the current parliament and his retention of his dual role as president and army chief.
"Emergency... There is no such situation and I will never use the army at all. This is not their job. They are doing their training and they will continue (this)," Musharraf added.
"There is no emergency situation and emergency will not be declared."
Rumours about the possible declaration of a state of emergency swirled in Pakistan during Friday's protests, which coincided with Chaudhry's second appearance before the panel hearing the allegations against him.
Musharraf, who had tussles with the judicial system after seizing power in a 1999 coup, again defended his removal of the chief justice but admitted there had been problems in the way it had been handled.
"Decisions have been taken under constitutional, legal norms, correct and timely," he said.
"The problem occurred in its tactical handling at the ground level. Problem area number one - political forces jumped in. Look at the flags there were flags on the chief justice's car. They politicised the issue."
Musharraf also said that the police inspector who allegedly led the attack on Geo's office was missing, the channel said on its website.
It said the interview was carried out by a journalist whose flagship show was taken off the airwaves last week on the orders of Pakistan's electronic media regulator.
Four more Pakistani judges quit on Monday in protest at Chaudhry's removal as resentment grew over the controversy.
Justice Jawad Khawaja of the Lahore High Court submitted his resignation, citing Chaudhry's removal and the police action against protesters, Supreme Court Bar Association president Munir Malik said.
Separately the advocate general of southern Sindh province, Anwar Mansoor, confirmed the resignations of three judges.
Lawyers and hardline Islamic parties have called for further, nationwide protests when Chaudhry appears again before the Supreme Judicial Council on Wednesday.
A protest rally in Islamabad will be led by Qazi Hussain Ahmad, chief of Pakistan's main alliance of religious parties, alliance spokesman Shahid Shamsi told AFP.
The suspended chief justice has denied any wrongdoing. At the weekend restrictions on his movement were reduced after he said he was under virtual house arrest, a claim rejected by the government. - AFP/de
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