ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Wednesday gave the lie to the government’s claim that all the deposed judges were ‘free to move and go back to their hometowns’.

He tried to leave his official residence at about 10 in the morning but was stopped at the main gate.

Tension mounted when a group of about 40 lawyers led by presidential candidate Justice (retd) Wajihuddin arrived near the judges’ colony to meet the deposed chief justice. Police used batons to disperse them when they started protesting.

Lawyer Athar Minallah was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order and sent to Adyala Jail for 30 days.

Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Amir Ali told Dawn that the arrest orders of Mr Minallah had been issued a few days ago.

A senior official in the interior ministry claimed that the deposed chief justice wanted to go to the Supreme Court building and not to his hometown.

“How could we allow him to proceed to the Supreme Court,” the official said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema had said on Tuesday that the deposed judges were free to go to their hometowns and the government would facilitate them.

However, lawyers were of the view that the government wanted to take the deposed judges to their hometowns under custody and then put them under house arrest.

Eyewitnesses said about a dozen police personnel standing outside the residence of Justice Iftikhar locked its outer gate when they saw him coming out of the building.

A heavy contingent of police was sent to the judges’ colony when the security personnel informed their bosses that Justice Iftikhar was standing right on the main gate of his residence and wanted to come out.

Hearing the news, Mr Wajihuddin, who was addressing the Islamabad District Bar Council, rushed to the judges’ colony along with 30 to 40 lawyers, but their vehicles were stopped by police already waiting for them outside Marriott Hotel.

The security personnel thrashed the lawyers and arrested Mr Minallah. Police also asked Mr Wajihuddin to go back.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Wajihuddin said he wanted to meet the deposed chief justice. He said he had recorded his protest and was going back.

He said he would try again to go to the judges’ colony on Thursday and if not allowed to do so, he would leave a bouquet of flowers at the police barrier near Justice Iftikhar’s residence as a mark of protest.

Justice Rana Bhagwandas, another deposed Supreme Court judge, told AFP that Justice Chaudhry tried to leave the enclave in Islamabad after the interior ministry said there were no restrictions on their movement.

“Justice Iftikhar said he would come out at 8 am and this morning when we came out in the compound we saw a massive police presence. A magistrate was also at the gates,” Justice Bhagwandas said.

“No one was allowed to leave the compound. Iftikhar Chaudhry also tried to come out of his house but he was not allowed,” added Rana Bhagwandas.

He said he believed Musharraf regime was taking harsh measures because it was “frightened”.

“We have never seen this kind of method being used on senior judiciary in the past history of the country,” he added. “We do not think they can survive for long. They will be doomed.”

Police stopped journalists from going near the compound and erected barricades across the road leading to it.

Justice Iftikhar has been under virtual house arrest since November 3 when he and 13 other judges refused to take the oath under the PCO.