Washington: Pakistani expatriates said on Friday that Islamabad is lurching into a constitutional crisis with the suspension of country's top judge.

Expatriates, mainly from Balochistan and Sindh, also condemned the alleged rights violations in these regions.

Speaking at a seminar marking the national day of Pakistan in Washington, the participants said the country was lurching into a constitutional crisis.

"If he sticks to his guns, then Pervez Musharraf and his advisers, they are, I would say, in a bind. They cannot wiggle out of it that easily, as they managed to do with A Q Khan last year. Because, they pressured him and the guy basically opted out. But, this time, the Chief Justice is sticking to his guns, so a lot depends on the person of the chief justice," said Haider Nizamani, a lecturer in political science at the University of British Columbia.

"There is a huge constitutional, judicial crisis in the country. All the lawyers are on strike. And, there've been mass resignations and there's been a very strong government motivated crackdown on the media as well as any other opposition groups. So, once again, we see Pakistan lurching into a constitutional crisis," Humaira Rahman of World Sindhi Institute, said.

The move to sack Chaudhry led to suspicion Musharraf feared the independent-minded judge would block any attempt by the president to keep the post of army chief, which he is due to give up this year.

Many judges and lawyers see the move against Chaudhry as an attack on the independence of the judiciary and seven judges and a deputy attorney general have resigned.

The participants also accused Musharraf's military regime of suppression of ethnic Balochs and Sindhis in their homeland.

"We are an occupied nation, occupation of our land should be ended, and our sovereignty and status of a sovereign nation should be restored at last under international treaties. We appeal to world leaders, international community, courts of justice, human rights organizations to help end the suffering of the Baloch nation," said Wahid Baloch of Baloch Society of North America.

"The reason why I am saying its not part of Pakistan is that so far in 60 years, we have no representation, neither in Pakistan, or in Azad Kashmir, nor do we have any self-rule in Gilgit Baltistan. We don't have any representation in Senate. We don't have any representation in National Assembly. We are not even allowed to go to Pakistani Supreme Court," Imtiaz Hussain of Gilgit Baltistan Thinkers Forum said.

Sindhis allege an increase in number of "abductions" of political workers and human rights activists at the hands of Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI), followed by torture, persecution and sometimes death.

The people of the province have long felt a sense of deprivation and alienation from Islamabad, and have repeatedly demanded greater power to determine their own affairs.

Rebels in Baluchistan, Pakistan's largest but poorest province and its biggest source of natural gas have waged a low-key insurgency for decades, but their campaign has intensified over the past year.

"It has been the political agenda of the Pakistan leaders and military dictators to divert the attention from the social and the genuine issues of the Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered areas and to direct all criticism and all attention to the Indian-administered Kashmir and so that the people should not talk about the Pakistani-administered areas and the rights and the conditions of that area," said Mohammad Mumtaz Khan of International Centre for Peace and Democracy and International Kashmir Alliance.

The army, locals say, has been allowed an almost iron hand rule and little is done to question its unbridled power trip.

Nizamani added his voice in calling for an extension of democracy and freedom saying that pro-democracy powers will prevail.

"They may put some pressure on him. I'm sure, the pro-democracy voices, they would like to hear more by way of some more concerted and solid pressure on Musharraf to get his house in order and share power with duly represented people of Pakistan. But it depends what the administration is asking and to what extent Musharraf is going to go by their plans," Nizamani said.

Musharraf came to power in a bloodless military coup in 1999, and the leaders of the main opposition live in exile, and their parties have been marginalised over the last seven years.

Critics have questioned the fairness of elections held during Musharraf's time in office, and his political allies now say he will be reelected as president for another five years by the present assemblies before they are dissolved for general elections due this year.

Rahman urged that international observers should ensure free and fair elections.

"Ideally, we'd like the administration in Washington to weigh in very strongly for free and fair elections to be held in Pakistan, as soon as possible. Having said that, we also would like Washington to insist that there be international observers, preferably U.N. so that the elections are truly fair and that the political opponents of those who are sitting in power are not crushed mercilessly for merely having the gall to stand up to them," Rahman said.

Musharraf has controversially retained his role as army chief, saying it was necessary in order for him to wage a war on terrorism in Pakistan and to seek peace with neighbouring India.

The US and UK, both wielding considerable influence on Pakistan, a key ally in their war against terrorism are facing increasing pressure to link any aid to the impoverished nation with adherence to political and social righteousness.