In the two months of protests since Iftikhar Chaudhary stunned Pakistan's ruling generals by refusing to step down as head of the country's Supreme Court over still-murky charges of misconduct, the chief justice has often been labelled a symbol of defiance.

But as protests grow, there are signs Mr Chaudhary may be becoming the leader of a movement rather than simply its inspiration. And he is becoming a unifying figure for those opposed to Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, the pro-US military ruler who seized power seven years ago in a bloodless coup and until earlier this year appeared to be in a politically unassailable position.