ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Protests against Pakistan's president showed no signs of abating yesterday as three powerful officials denied the chief justice's account of his suspension, which set off the three-month-old political crisis.Amid complaints of a media crackdown, journalists have joined lawyers and opposition supporters in calling for President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to step down, or at least give up his role as army chief.

A day after several journalists protested and scuffled with security in parliament's press gallery, 200 of them defied a recent ban on gatherings of more than five people in the capital, vowing to resist any government pressures to rein in their coverage of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry's efforts to be reinstated.

Parliament revoked press passes for all but official government media yesterday.

About 7,000 people staged a sit-down protest in front of the provincial assembly in the eastern city of Lahore. Some shouted "Go, Musharraf, go!" while others had their mouths taped shut to protest alleged government censorship. Smaller protests were held elsewhere.

The European Union and media advocacy groups also voiced concern about freedom of speech.

Chaudhry's ouster has sparked unrest and raised doubts about the ability of Musharraf, a close U.S. ally, to stay in power.

Critics claim Musharraf, who took office after a 1999 military coup, has tried to sideline the independent-minded judge in case of any legal challenges to his bid to secure a new five-year presidential term this fall.

Musharraf denies he was motivated by politics. A government lawyer claimed yesterday the president was acting on a recommendation from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Musharraf's grip on power is also being challenged by two former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who have said they want to return from exile to contest the next election.

Musharraf banished Sharif for 10 years after the 1999 coup and has threatened him with arrest if he returns. Yesterday, Sharif said he was willing to run that risk.

"If we can achieve our objectives by paying the price of going into the jail, that doesn't scare me," Sharif told US National Public Radio. "To the contrary, I think it'll take this struggle forward. It'll take this struggle faster than we all think."

The three officials filed affidavits in the Supreme Court in response to Chaudhry's claim that he was detained at Musharraf's army residence near the capital for several hours on March 9, the day he was suspended.

Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Mian Nadeem Ijaz Ahmad also claimed Chaudhry had regularly sought information from the spy agency about fellow judges for his own "database."

The other affidavits — part of the government case against Chaudhry's challenge against the legality of his suspension — were submitted by the chief of the civilian Intelligence Bureau and Musharraf's chief of staff, Hamid Javaid.

"No one threatened the CJP (chief justice of Pakistan). No one coerced him to write out a resignation," Javaid said.

The chief justice has claimed that Musharraf, alongside the intelligence chiefs and prime minister, pressured him to resign over charges that he abused his office.

"It is incorrect that the (chief justice) remained at the camp office against his will," Ahmad's affidavit said.

He said Musharraf left for the southern city of Karachi after the meeting and that Chaudhry continued discussions with the intelligence chiefs. Ahmad said Chaudhry requested another meeting with Musharraf which was not granted.

Chaudhry claims he was accused of using Supreme Court cars for his family and interfering in the affairs of the High Court in Punjab province.

The president's office initially reported that Musharraf would make a televised address to the nation late yesterday, but arrangements for the taping were later cancelled without explanation.

Authorities have warned the media, especially private television channels, to temper their coverage and avoid slights of the military or the judiciary.

Musharraf passed an order Monday giving a media regulator the power to seize equipment and seal the premises of offending broadcasters or distributors.

Anwar Mahmood, a senior official at the Ministry of Information, on Thursday confirmed reports that the order had been suspended to allow talks between officials and media representatives.

The EU welcomed that move, while expressing concern that Pakistani media freedoms had suffered "setbacks."

Prime Minister Aziz's office issued a statement saying the government "fully believes" in freedom of media but that journalists have a responsibility to adhere to balanced and fair reporting.