ISLAMABAD, March 21 (Reuters) - Several dozen Pakistani opposition activists were detained hours ahead of more protests over the government's move to sack the country's chief judge, police said on Wednesday.

The suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on March 9 outraged the legal community and has escalated into President Pervez Musharraf's biggest political crisis, raising concern about stability in the run-up to elections due around the end of the year.

The move to sack Chaudhry, who has a reputation as an independent-minded Supreme Court boss, has led to suspicion Musharraf feared the judge would block any attempt by the president to retain the office of army chief, which he is due to give up this year.

The top judicial watchdog hearing the accusations against Chaudhry was due to have its third session on Wednesday but postponed it without reason until April 3.

Nevertheless, lawyers and opposition parties vowed to go ahead with planned protests against what they see as a government attack on the independence of the judiciary.

Police in the city of Lahore said they rounded up at least 45 activists of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party on Tuesday night.

Nevertheless, several hundred lawyers in business suits took to the streets of Lahore on Wednesday.

In the capital, Islamabad, police and paramilitary troops sealed off roads leading to the Supreme Court but about 100 members of an alliance of religious parties managed to gather and chant "Go Musharraf Go".

About 100 lawyers tried to march in the southwestern city of Quetta. Police fired one teargas shell at them, a witness said.

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