RAWALPINDI (Pakistan). Mar 2: Pakistan's Supreme Court sentenced a freelance journalist to jail indefinitely today for contempt, sparking plans by Rawalpindi's journalist community to march In protest, reports AFP

Shahid Orakzai, 40. was declared guilty of contempt on Monday during the trial here, 15 kilometres (nine miles) west of Pakistan capital Islamabad, of former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg.

Orakzai stood up, openly accused the Court of trying to exonerate Beg. charged with influencing the Court while he was army chief, and said the, Job of presenting details of, Beg's actions had been wholly left to the press.

Orakzai. warned repeatedly by the Court, refused to remain quiet. His comments sparked chaos, and the courtroom atmosphere degenerated.

The full bench, headed by Chief Justice Afzal Zullah, said In a statement Orakzai had not only "disturbed the decorum of the Court, but contemptuously acted in a manner to scandalise it and bring It into hatred, ridicule and contempt."

He was sentenced "until he purges himself of the contempt," the statement said. Orakzai Is to make a statement to the Court Registrar every four months, and the content of hts statement is to determine the length of his Jail term.

Authbritles. unable to find Orakzai since the verdict was handed down. Have raided his home, as well as the Islamabad bureau of The Frontier Post, the Northwest Frontier Province daily newspaper, for

which he sometimes writes.

Sources said police tried to arrest the newspapers chief reporter Qaisar Butt for refusing or being unable to give details of Orakzai's whereabouts.

Journalists say will march through city streets- here to protest against police raids and repeated harassment of the press.

After the verdict on Orakzai was handed down. Beg's trial, in its second day following a one-week recess, continued.

Beg dented Influencing a Court decision not to restore the elected National Assembly, dissolved by then President Muhammed Zla-ul-Haq in May 1988.

Zia was killed in August 1988 when the Pakistani air force plane he was in exploded in mid-air.

In a speech to the Lahore Press Club on February 4, Beg commented on the Court decision not to revive the assembly.

Later on Tuesday, journalists who attended Beg's press club talk were-to testify In Court.

Beg said his remarks, widely considered to be controversial, were not meant to scandalise the Court

In a short statement on Monday, Beg said he gave a message to the Court through then Law Minister Wasim Sajjad, who Is now senate Chairman, that holding assembly elections was in Pakistan's best interests.

However on Tuesday. Sajjad denied having received such a message. He said he would issue a detailed statement after the Court hands down its verdict on the Beg case.