ISLAMABAD, March 16: Despite stiff security measures and cordons and barriers all around, opposition parties held protests and demonstrations in the twin cities on Friday against the action taken against Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Protest demonstrations were also held in other cities sand towns of the country.

At a meeting held at the residence of Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Monday, the opposition had decided to launch a joint campaign against what was termed an attack on the independence of judiciary and dignity of the supreme court.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), parties in the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) and Awami National Party (ANP) took part in the protest on the Constitution Avenue.

“Today’s protest was a rehearsal for a final sit-in. The opposition has won the first round, and a call for a march towards Islamabad will turn the tables on the government," said a senior opposition leader.

Although the gathering on the Constitution Avenue was not large, it was vigorous and lively. Young lawyers raised slogans against President Pervez Musharraf and his policies.

Commenting on PPP’s low-key presence in the protest, party legislator from Larkana Mohammad Anwar Bhutto said: "We want to avert the risk of another general taking over from General Musharraf."

He said all opposition parties were united on one point of ousting General Musharraf in order to save the country from further disaster.

Asfandyar Wali Khan, who was accompanied by Senator Ilyas Bilour and Azam Khan Hoti, said the opposition could not back out of its commitment of a joint campaign against the government which was bent upon destroying all institutions of the country.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed had announced that he would lead the Friday congregation on the Constitution Avenue, but he was taken away from the place by security personnel. The move galvanised the protesters belonging to the MMA and they kept challenging the security personnel the whole day.

Before being taken away, Qazi Hussain Ahmed told reporters that an anti-government campaign had been launched and it would not stop.

“The masses are on our side,” he said, adding that all opposition parties were united against General Musharraf.

He said the government had turned a peaceful protest into a violent demonstration by not allowing people to offer Friday prayers on the Constitution Avenue.

Led by its chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, senior leaders of People’s Party Parliamentarians as well as People’s Lawyers Forum participated in the protest.

The involvement of the JUI-F, a major member-party of the MMA, was almost negligible. However, the arrest of the JUI-F’s estranged leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed did make the party’s presence felt.

Mr Fahim told reporters that the PPP and its workers fully supported the struggle of lawyers for the supremacy of the law and restoration of judiciary’s pride which had been attacked by an individual.

PPP secretary-general Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the opposition was required to wage a joint struggle “to bail the country out of the situation created by General Musharraf’s mistreatment of judiciary.”

While PML-N chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq could not reach the venue due to tight security, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and other party leaders were present.