Judges quit in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 19 (UPI) -- Six lower court judges in Pakistan have resigned to protest the suspension of the country's top judge.

President Pervez Musharraf dismissed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary and ordered him arrested on charges of misconduct and misuse of authority. Chaudhary has denied the charges.

Last week, thousands of lawyers in Pakistan boycotted the courts to protest the arrest.

Mahmood-ul Hasan, a council member and former president of the Karachi Bar Association said the judges had sent their resignations to their respective district judge, the Press Trust of India reported.

"They will continue to function until their resignations are accepted by the chief justice," Hasan told the Press Trust of India.

Musharraf, meanwhile, said he expects the judicial crisis will settle down once Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas is seated.

Bhagwandas' son-in-law, Ramesh Chandra, is one of the civil judges who resigned, Hasan said.