Islamabad: Thousands of people chanted slogans against Pakistan's president as they greeted the suspended chief justice who was to address a rally of lawyers and supporters in this city just north of the capital Saturday. Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry's convoy started in Islamabad, 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the south, where it defied a new two month ban on gatherings of more than five people in Islamabad.

Thousands of people have joined protests across the country since President Gen Pervez Musharraf ousted Chaudhry on March 9, triggering a political crisis that has challenged the general's grip on power as he prepares to seek another five year term later this year. Roads leading to the city of Abbotabad were decorated with banners and portraits of the judge. About 3,000 people greeted his convoy as it arrived in the city. Supporters danced to the beat of drums as they chanted "Go, Musharraf, go."

Pakistani news channels have shown live TV coverage of Chaudhry' rallies. But the situation Saturday was visibly different, as most stations merely reported that Chaudhry had left Islamabad for Abbotabat, 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the north, where he was to address lawyers. The government has asked news channels to reduce coverage of the top judge, the latest sign of intolerance of what it claims has been biased reporting under a policy of maximum independence for media.

Mohsin Raza, news director for the AYR news channel, said the government was exerting pressure on the coverage issue. "It's a kind of censorship of the electronic media," he said. One broadcaster, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Friday his network received "verbal instructions" from the government not to show live coverage of Chaudhry's rallies.

However, Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani told the Associated Press that the government believes in freedom of the press, and that it had only requested the media to abide by their code of conduct. Durrani earlier asked news channels not to play into the hands of those who want to politicize the suspension issue. Musharraf has said he suspended Chaudhry because of alleged misconduct and his opponents were politicizing a purely legal matter. Critics accuse of him of trying to get rid of the judge in case of legal challenges to his plan to extend his nearly eight year rule since taking power in a 1999 coup.

Riots erupted last month when authorities stopped Chaudhry from leading a demonstration in the city of Karachi, leaving more than 40 people dead. The government said Friday it imposed a two month ban on gatherings of more than five people to ensure the peace and avoid any inconvenience to the public. However, police didn't stop Chaudhry's supporters, who first gathered outside his home in an upscale neighborhood of Islamabad, then marched down a main road with him to Abbotabat, said Aitzaz Ahsan, a lawyer for Chaudhry. Musharraf faces a growing political crisis for his action against Chaudhry.

Last week, some of the lawyers at a seminar attended by Chaudhry verbally abused Musharraf, blaming him for the current judicial and political crisis. But Pakistan's top military commanders at a meeting Friday reaffirmed their loyalty to Musharraf, who has refused to give up his dual role as army chief. Although Musharraf's political opponents have challenged his rule, there is no sign he has lost the support of his key international backer, the United States. Washington considers the Pakistani leader a crucial ally in the fight against terrorism.