Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, one of the two judges hearing cases against Zardari, said that accusations levelled against him by Zardari had left him ``angry and frustrated.'' Khokhar told reporters that he was ``too angry to be fair,'' and was therefore taking the decision to step down.

Zardari, who has been under arrest since the government of prime minister Bhutto was sacked in November 1996, said that one of the two judges hearing his case had made a deal with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to convict him. Zardari, however, did not name the judge.

Zardari repeated his accusation today to media persons when he was brought for the hearing of his case in Lahore. In the court today, Zardari said: ``You people will not dojustice.''

Zardari -- brought to the court under heavy security -- was taken away after the decision of the judge to step down. The government will now appoint a successor to the judge who has voluntarily been asked to be removed.

Zardari faces several charges of corruption involving alleged wrong-doings and abuse of power during his wife's last term in office. Of late, people who had testified against Zardari were unwilling to do so after some key state witnesses were shot by unidentified assailants in various parts of the country.

In one such incident, Sajjad Hussain, a former chairman of the state-owned Pakistan Steel Mills, was killed in Karachi by two armed men in a busy street.

Hussain had turned state witness to testify against Zardari in a steel scam which involved the disposal of millions of rupees worth of steel at huge losses to the state corporation.

For his part, Zardari says he is innocent and dismisses fears expressed by people who are to testify against him. ``It is their own guiltyconscience that is making them withdraw,'' he commented.