NEW YORK, Nov 22: The Human Rights Watch on Thursday demanded that the Pakistani government should immediately release deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, his family and other judges held under house arrest since Nov 3.

The New York-based watchdog group decried US President’s statements supporting Gen Musharraf saying “Washington should suspend further dealings with him and the army until he releases the judges, restores them to office, and reverses the state of emergency.”

The watchdog group noted that Mr Chaudhry and his family had not been allowed out of their home in Islamabad’s Judges’ Colony.

In addition to Mr Chaudhry, five Supreme Court judges remain confined to the Judges’ Colony.

At least another five Supreme Court judges are under house arrest in Lahore.

“It’s disgraceful that Musharraf is punishing Chief Justice Chaudhry, who challenged his power-grab, by keeping the judge’s family under house arrest,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at the Human Rights Watch. “Musharraf should end his ugly vendetta against the judges and free Chaudhry, his family and the other judges immediately.”

The HRW said that the judges who remain in the Judges’ Colony say that they were still forcibly confined, and that the government was not telling the truth.

Justice Rana Bhagwandas told the HRW that while he and four other judges under house arrest were allowed to move about within the compound, the chief justice and his family remained prisoners in their home.

He said that when he and a colleague attempted to visit the chief justice on the morning of November 21, they were prevented by security personnel and that security around Mr Chaudhry had been increased.

When Mr Chaudhry tried to step out of his house earlier on the morning of November 21, dozens of extra security personnel surrounded his house and ringed it with barbed wire.

Justice Bhagwandas said that when he attempted to walk out of the Judges’ Colony, he had also been prevented by security personnel.

The Watch urged the international community, particularly the United States in its capacity as Musharraf’s chief backer, to demand the immediate release and restoration to office of all detained judges.

Brigadier (retired) Javed Cheema, a spokesperson for the interior ministry, told the media on Nov 20 that the “judges are free to go from their homes, they are free to move. Those who are staying back … are staying of their own accord.”

Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, one of the judges under house arrest in Lahore, told the HRW that when he asked his captors if he was free to leave, a colonel from the Pakistani military’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency responded: “We have no orders to release you.”

The Watch also called for the release of Athar Minallah, an opposition lawyer who has acted as a conduit between the outside world and Mr Chaudhry since his detention.

On the afternoon of Nov 21, Mr Minallah was arrested by six plainclothes security personnel, who refused to identify what law-enforcement agency they belonged to, as he attempted to visit Mr Chaudhry. Mr Minallah is being held at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

“Mr Minallah is being persecuted for communicating on behalf of Mr Chaudhry and keeping his plight in the public eye,” said Adams.

“He’s a Supreme Court lawyer, not a criminal. He should be released now – like thousands of others arrested for no good reason.”

The Watch reiterated its call for the United States and the United Kingdom to impose comprehensive sanctions on all military and economic aid, with the exception of humanitarian aid, unless Musharraf moves immediately to rescind the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), restore the judiciary, end the state of emergency, remove restrictions on the media and release all political detainees held since Nov 3.

“President Bush says that Musharraf hasn’t ‘crossed the line’ in his lack of commitment to democracy, but the Pakistani ruler keeps locking up his critics, including Chief Justice Chaudhry,” said Adams.

“Rather than making ridiculous statements that signal no consequences for Musharraf’s dictatorial moves, Washington should suspend further dealings with him and the army until he releases these judges, restores them to office, and reverses the state of emergency.”