Sacked judge in Pakistan appeal

Mr Chaudhry - Gen Musharraf first moved against him in March

Pakistanis must unite and stand up for the supremacy of the constitution, says the country's sacked chief justice.

Iftikhar Chaudhry said that an independent judiciary was essential for democracy in Pakistan.

Hundreds of lawyers and other critics of President Pervez Musharraf have been detained since he declared emergency rule on Saturday.

Pakistan's top human rights campaigner has made a plea for their release.

'Forget differences'

Mr Chaudhry has been a focus for opposition after Gen Musharraf tried to remove him from office in March following a number of court judgements against the government.

He made his appeal to Pakistanis in an interview with the BBC Urdu service from his home in the capital, Islamabad.

"I would like to appeal to all the people of Pakistan and the political parties to forget their differences," he said.

"It's time we stood up for the supremacy of the constitution as well as the rule of law and an independent judiciary which is indispensable for democracy as well as tackling terrorism."

And he repeated that he did not recognise his dismissal, or that of a number of other judges, by Gen Musharraf.

"I am still the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the judges are still the judges under the constitution."

Most lawyers are boycotting the courts and correspondents say the judicial process in Pakistan is virtually paralysed.

Pressure

Meanwhile, the country's most prominent rights campaigner, Asma Jahangir, has appealed to lawyers around the world to put pressure on the Pakistani government.

Ms Jahangir, who heads the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said that some lawyers were being tortured while in the hands of military intelligence officials.

Ms Jahangir is being held in detention at her home in Lahore.