Pakistan's deposed chief justice makes 1st appearance from house arrest

ISLAMABAD, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry appeared at the terrace of his residence on Monday evening, the first time in almost five months' house arrest.

Chaudhry's appearance came after the Pakistani Prime Minister-elect Yousaf Raza Gillani demanded immediate release of all detained judges while making his first address as prime minister in the National Assembly.

President Pervez Musharraf had sacked the Chief Justice and around other top judges after he imposed emergency on November 3, 2007. They were sacked after they refused to take oath of loyalty to Musharraf.

TV footage showed that hundreds of supporters thronged around Chaudhry's residence, chanting slogans and waving flags. Chaudhry waved hands to the supporters from his balcony,

Earlier police had removed barbed wires and cemented blocks from the road leading to the residence of Chuadhry.

"All judges detained are free," local Dawn News TV channel quoted an official in Islamabad as saying.