Adeela Munir, the sister of a man who was reported missing after being taken into custody, outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad. When Adeela finally got to see her brother at a secret location in Rawalpindi, she found him hallucinating and disorientated. Justice Chaudhry had taken up the issue of missing persons last year. (AFP)

Islamabad, May 27 (AP): Pakistan’s suspended chief justice took a veiled swipe at President Pervez Musharraf on live national television, warning “absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was speaking publicly yesterday in the Supreme Court for the first time since Musharraf suspended him about two months ago for alleged abuse of power, triggering a public furore that is testing the military leader’s hold on power.

The ouster of the independent-minded judge was widely seen as a move to prevent legal challenges to Musharraf’s continued rule.

Chaudhry did not specifically mention Musharraf in his address, but made veiled criticism of the President, who also serves as military chief, saying the centralisation of power in one man could be dangerous.

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Chaudhry told a televised, packed seminar on “Separation of Power and Independence of Judiciary”.

He also said it was critical to maintain the separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, calling judicial independence a “bulwark against abuse of power”.

About 8,000 jubilant lawyers and supporters from Opposition parties gathered outside the court building, chanting slogans against Musharraf.

Information minister Mohammad Ali Durrani said today the seminar organisers had violated a Supreme Court directive that the weekend gathering would not be used for political purposes.

“The Supreme Court building was used for the first time for political objectives,” Durrani told a news conference.

‘Enemy’ journalists

Twelve journalists have been declared “enemies” by an organisation linked with a party that supports Musharraf, a media rights group said.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement yesterday the Karachi-based Muhajir Rabita Council has “listed 12 journalists by name and identified them as ‘enemies’.” The council is closely associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which backs Musharraf.