Pakistan's constitution was suspended today as President Pervez Musharraf invoked emergency powers, state run Pakistan Television reported.
Pakistan appointed a new Supreme Court chief justice after the outgoing Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry refused to take an oath under the provisional constitutional order promulgated by Musharraf.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and eight other judges refused to endorse the provisional constitutional order, and Chaudhry has been told his "services are no longer required", private news channels said.
Chaudhry and his fellow judges, according to a Reutersjournalist, were still inside the court building on Constitution Avenue, the broad thoroughfare where the presidency and the National Assembly are also located. The road has been sealed off by troops.
Pakistan Televisin later reported that the country's cabinet will continue working, and the national and provincial assemblies will also contine to function following the imposition of emergency rule.
"The Federal Cabinet, governors and their (provincial) ministers will continue their work," the channel reported.
"The National Assembly, Senate, the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan will continue functioning".
Meanwhile, a leading Pakistani lawyer and opposition figure, Aitzaz Ahsan, said he had been detained after President Musharraf invoked emergency powers.
"They have served me a detention order for 30 days," Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told reporters outside his home in the capital.
"One man has taken entire nation hostage... Time has come for General Musharraf to go."
Fellow lawyers shouted "Go Musharraf Go" as Ahsan was taken away by police, waving a victory sign to his supporters.