Via the BBC: Court orders Pakistan releases

Pakistan’s top judge has ordered the immediate release of dozens of detained opposition supporters who have been taken into custody since the weekend.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry made the ruling after summoning police and government officials to court.

He did so shortly after papers were filed naming Gen Musharraf to contest presidential elections on 6 October.

[…]

The government has said it will abide by the Supreme Court order. It had argued that the detentions were necessary to maintain law and order.

The degree to which the Pakistani Supreme Court has been a thorn in the side of Musharraf has been rather interesting to watch, as generally speaking judicial institutions tend to be politically quite weak in such contexts. Indeed, I can think of no example wherein the chief political counterbalance to a military president who came to power via coup was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Remember: Musharraf had suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, yet was unable to make the suspension stick. Further, the court has issued a number of rulings that have not gone Musharraf’s way.

And, there is yet more on the Supreme Court’s plate:

The Supreme Court is to decide whether he can stand for election while holding the posts of president and army chief.

At the moment, it is Musharraf’s position that he will step down only once elected, and should the federal and provincial assemblies fail to elect him president (we aren’t talking about a popular election) he plans to remains army chief.