Pakistan judge resignations rise

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One of Pakistan's deputy attorney generals and another senior judge have resigned over the removal of the Supreme Court chief justice.

Six other judges have already resigned in widespread protests that have seen lawyers in bloody clashes with police.

President Pervez Musharraf suspended Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on 9 March for alleged abuse of office.

Critics say he is trying to muzzle the judiciary ahead of elections scheduled for later this year.

'Not possible'

Nasir Saeed Sheikh, one of Pakistan's three deputy attorney generals, became the senior most government lawyer to quit over the crisis.

"Under the prevailing constitutional position it is not possible for me to work," he told the AFP news agency.

The deputy attorney general was joined by Javed Memon, a senior judge in Kotri, in the southern Pakistan province of Sindh.

On Monday six judges, including a justice of the High Court in the eastern city of Lahore, resigned in protest over the chief justice's removal.

Crisis management

The suspension of Mr Chaudhry has ignited a storm of protests all over the country.

President Pervez Musharraf tried to calm the anger by speaking to a leading Pakistani television channel on Thursday.

In the interview with Geo TV, Gen Musharraf was clearly trying to limit the damage done by his decision to suspend Chief Justice Chaudhry and refer him to a tribunal on charges of misconduct, the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says.

President Musharraf denied that he would impose a state of emergency to quell the crisis.

Our correspondent says the crisis has been made worse by the use of force against protesting lawyers, independent TV stations like Geo and the chief justice himself.

General Musharraf insists he acted according to the constitution - a view disputed by many legal experts.

He has admitted errors by his police forces and he stressed that he acted on the advice of the government.

Observers suggest he may be trying to distance himself from the decision.