Musharraf seeks harmony with top judge

Islamabad: Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf says he hopes for "harmonious ties" with the recently reinstated chief justice he had tried to fire four months ago in a move that ultimately weakened him politically.

Musharraf, now passing through what is widely seen as the most beleaguered phase of his eight-year rule, suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in March on charges of misconduct.

That sparked a countrywide campaign against the move by the lawyer community and opposition groups, and the Supreme Court quashed the charges and reinstated Chaudhry on July 20.

In his first comment on the judgement, Musharraf said he accepted it and would honour it.

He had personal relations with Chaudhry and hoped to maintain them, he also said.

"We had family ties and hope to maintain (the) same harmonious ties in future," the official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as telling a ceremony late on Tuesday.
Musharraf, who is also army chief, said he held judges in "highest esteem" and had never tried to politicise the judiciary.

The judgement against his move came when US ally Musharraf also faced growing difficulties keeping a lid on security problems as he seeks election to a second term this year.

Pakistan has seen a wave of bomb and suicide attacks since a bloody army assault last month on Islamabad's Lal Masjid or Red Mosque, a stronghold of Islamist militants.

At the same time Musharraf is under increasing US pressure to step up action against Al Qaida and other militants entrenched in a lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border.

In a video posted on Tuesday, an Al Qaida leader, Abu Yahya Al Libi, called on Pakistanis to overthrow Musharraf, accusing him of helping Washington kill Muslims in Afghanistan.

Musharraf survived two Al Qaida-inspired assassination attempts in 2003.