Saudi Arabia has offered to host a pilgrimage to Mecca by Pakistan's former top judge, prompting speculation over the desert kingdom's continuing involvement in Pakistani politics.

Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court, has, in effect, been under house arrest since President Pervez Musharraf introduced a state of emergency on November 3 and appointed a new chief justice, effectively ending an eight-month rift with Mr Chaudhary.