Pakistani Judge Calls Musharraf 'An Extremist'

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan's deposed chief justice sharply criticized President Musharraf yesterday, calling him an "extremist general" for firing 60 judges and keeping his family — including his disabled 7-year-old son — under house arrest for three months.

Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry's letter, smuggled out of his Islamabad residence and addressed to Western nations, showed how the American-backed leader's harsh attacks on his critics are backfiring — leaving the president in more trouble as he struggles to cling onto power.

During a trip to Europe last week, Mr. Musharraf described the judge as "inept and corrupt." In response, Mr. Chaudhry wrote a seven-page letter that was circulated yesterday at a news conference held by sympathetic lawyers and delivered to the Islamabad embassies of America, Britain, France, and the European Union. In it, Mr. Chaudhry questioned Mr. Musharraf's legitimacy as head of state and accused him of illegally changing the constitution.