KARACHI, May 4: The Sindh chapter of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy has decided to accord a warm welcome to Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on his arrival in the city on May 12.

Announcing this, ARD Sindh President Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the alliance would also organise a sit-in and observe a token hunger strike on May 9 to show solidarity with lawyers.

Briefing newsmen at his residence about the ARD meeting on Friday, Mr Shah lauded the fraternity’s ongoing campaign, and reaffirmed ARD’s support and full cooperation in its struggle for the restoration of the judiciary’s supremacy.

He said the ARD had set up a committee which would also make arrangements for a tumultuous welcome to be accorded to the CJP. Rashid Rabbani and Rafique Engineer of PPP, and Sardar Rahim of the PML-N a members of the committee.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who is also a senior PPP leader, condemned the Sindh government for ‘impounding’ people’s vehicles for Gen Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Naukot on May 5.

He also criticised the government for its failure to do away with the power load-shedding in Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

PPP leaders Nafees Siddiqui, Rafique Engineer, Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi; PML-N leaders Sardar Rahim, Salim Zia and Zain Ansari and other ARD leaders were present.