Suspended Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and his family were today roughed up by securitymen outside his residence ahead of his appearance before a judicial council that will look into charges of misuse of authority against him.

Removed from the post by President Pervez Musharraf last week, Chaudhry declined to take the official car and was preparing to walk to the Supreme Court, where the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) was meeting to hear the case against him.

But the security officials would not allow him and a scuffle followed in which Chaudhry, his wife and daughters were manhandled by the security personnel who put him in his car, television channels reported. He was taken to the Balochistan House, the changed venue of the hearing, where a number of his supporters were waiting. They clashed with the security men and in the melee the windscreen of his car was damaged.

Hundreds of lawyers and followers of the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis-e Amal showed up at the venue to express solidarity with Chaudhry. These included Liaqat Baloch, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, former ISI chief Hamid Gul and Pakistan People’s Party leaders Aitagaz Hasan.

“The allegations against me are useless and I will not give my resignation. My trial should be held in an open court so that everyone should know what is happening,” said Chaudhry. He has reportedly expressed reservations about some of the judges in the five-judge council as he had initiated disciplinary proceedings against them.

The hearing was adjourned to March 16.

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