Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- An al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan called on Pakistani Muslims to overthrow President Pervez Musharraf, calling him a ``dirty tyrant'' and condemning his support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

``Go to battle together in order to remove this infidel,'' Abu Yahya al-Libi said in a video message posted on the Internet, according to SITE, a Washington-based group which monitors Islamic extremist Web sites. ``Remove his heretic secular rule.''

The 21-minute video issued yesterday is al-Qaeda's second call in less than a month for Muslims to wage holy war, or jihad, in Pakistan, after security forces stormed Islamabad's Red Mosque. Al-Qaeda No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, called the July 10-11 raid, which killed at least 75 pro-Taliban militants, a ``dirty, despicable crime.''

Musharraf has survived at least four assassination attempts by Islamic extremists since 2001, when he ended support for the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan. Islamic parties in Pakistan, the world's second-largest Muslim country, oppose his alliance with the Bush administration, which is pressing him to confront al-Qaeda gunmen sheltering in western tribal areas.

Libi said the militants killed at the Red Mosque were ``martyrs,'' according to SITE, which stands for Search for International Terrorist Entities.

At least 140 civilians, soldiers and police have been killed in suicide bombings and other attacks by militants since the mosque raid.

Test for Musharraf

The attacks are a test for Musharraf, who is facing the strongest opposition to his rule since he seized power in a military coup eight years ago.

Criticism is focused on his dual role as president and army chief and has intensified since he suspended the country's Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in March for alleged misconduct. The Supreme Court last month reinstated the judge and ruled the suspension was illegal.

``I accept the judgment of the judiciary and honor it,'' Musharraf said in Islamabad yesterday, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Musharraf said the country is going through turbulent times, and appealed to the media not to ``convert terrorists into heroes,'' APP reported. ``Report the news, but deny space to them,'' he added.

President George W. Bush has been under pressure from some members of the U.S. Congress to cultivate alternatives to Musharraf. Critics contend the 63-year-old general has resisted democratic changes and failed to curb militants.

U.S. intelligence officials said in a report published July 17 that Musharraf's anti-terrorism strategy is failing and that al-Qaeda has established a ``safe haven'' along Pakistan's mountainous frontier with Afghanistan.

Pakistan has a population of 165 million people. Indonesia is the biggest Muslim nation, with a population of 234 million.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 31, 2007 21:06 EDT