Taking a stern view of the weekend’s violent police crackdown during protests against President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry on Monday ordered suspension and arrest of top police and administration officials.

Chaudhry, who took suo motu cognisance of Saturday’s police ‘brutal’ action that left dozens of lawyers and mediapersons injured, directed immediate action against those responsible for the incidents.

“This is a very serious matter...the civil administration is not doing any service to the people,” said Chaudhry, who became a rallying point for anti-Musharraf forces after he was suspended by the General in March. He was reinstated by the Apex Court in July following mass protests spearheaded by lawyers.

When Interior Secretary Kamal Shah, who was summoned by the Chief Justice, told the special hearing on the violence that a high-powered committee has been constituted to probe the incidents, Chaudhry said Islamabad Inspector General Marwah Shah “should be suspended and arrested as he is responsible for whatever happened”.

Chaudhry, who was told that over 80 people were wounded after police used batons to disperse the protesters opposing Musharraf’s re-election bid, said other top police and administration officials should also be suspended. He also watched the TV footage of the incidents which the private channels were asked to furnish to the court.