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PESHAWAR, Pakistan : President Pervez Musharraf appointed a new acting head of Pakistan's top court as lawyers held fresh rallies Thursday against his removal of the chief justice, officials said.
The government said Justice Rana Bhagwandas, the senior-most judge who has been on leave, would "act as chief justice of Pakistan with effect from the date he resumes his office."
Bhagwandas, the only Hindu judge at the country's Supreme Court, arrived back in the southern port city of Karachi Wednesday after a private visit to India. His leave expires on Friday.
He would replace Justice Javed Iqbal, who was appointed acting chief justice on March 9 when the president suspended chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on charges including that the judge strong-armed promotions for his own son.
Lawyers have held nationwide demonstrations and strikes in protest since Chaudhry's removal.
Around 3,000 lawyers boycotted court proceedings Thursday and blocked a road ahead of a legal convention in the northwestern city of Peshawar, witnesses said.
Waving black flags and banners, they shouted "Go Musharraf go" and "We want freedom."
On Wednesday police fired tear gas and baton-charged around 100 lawyers in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, when they tried to hold a protest in front of the provincial governor's residence, witnesses said.
Justice Iqbal on Thursday ordered a senior judge at Baluchistan High Court to conduct a judicial probe into the incident and submit a report within a week, court officials said.
Iqbal gave the order after a complaint filed by the vice president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and summoned top police and administration officials to his court, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Separately Chaudhry's legal team said the suspended chief justice had accepted invitations to address lawyers in different cities, in an apparent move to keep the momentum going in their campaign for his reinstatement.
"Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry will address lawyers in Rawalpindi and Peshawar on March 28 and 30 respectively," one of Chaudhry's lawyers, Hamid Khan, told AFP.
Lawyers say they will also boycott courts across the country on April 3 when Pakistan's Supreme Judicial Council is to hold its next hearing into allegations of misconduct and abuse of office against Chaudhry.
Eight judges and a deputy attorney general have already resigned in protest.
Chaudhry denies the charges, including that he unfairly gained promotions for his son and insisted on the use of cars and aircraft to which he was not entitled.
Bhagwandas is expected to head a reconstituted judicial council for further hearing of the case against Chaudhry.
The council held two sessions last week and a scheduled third sitting was postponed, amid demonstrations by the law community demanding reinstatement of Justice Chaudhry.
- AFP /ls
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