July 21, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 05, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 20: Lawyers, politicians, traders and people from all walks of life on Friday applauded the Supreme Court ruling reinstating Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and termed the verdict a historic victory for the entire nation.

The decision sent a wave of jubilation among the people in the twin cities who were under the clouds of despondency after the recent suicide bombings that killed scores of people in various parts of the country.

“We have been hearing bad news for the last three weeks with TV channels full of bloody events but today we have got a good news and enjoy sharing it with each other,” said Javed Razzaq, a property dealer.

The business community in Rawalpindi Sadder (cantonment) was seen distributing sweets and showering flowers on each other while in some places people celebrated the news by firing in the air.

Jubilant lawyers celebrating the verdict resolved that they would continue their struggle till the end of military rule and return of true democracy in the country.

President Lahore High Court Bar Association Sardar Asmatullah Advocate said independence of judiciary was one of the agendas of their movement.

“We must put a no-entry tag on the imported policies that have been the real cause of our national problems,” he said while talking to Dawn in Rawalpindi.

Mr Asmatullah said the vigour and enthusiasm of the movement would not die down after the reinstatement of the chief justice.

Shahbaz Ahmed Rajput Advocate, joint secretary Rawalpindi District Bar Association, while endorsing the viewpoint of LHCBA president said the lawyers’ action committee had already decided not to sit back but carry on their fight for ensuring true democracy in the country.

Rafaqat Awan Advocate said the lawyers were united in their resolve to bring an end to the military rule.

ATTOCK: Jubilant crowds in various parts of the Attock district exchanged greetings and distributed sweets after the Supreme Court verdict.

District Bar Association president Rana Afsar Ali Khan said the lawyers’ campaign would continue till restoration of true democracy and elimination of military dictatorship in the country.

He said the reinstatement of the CJP was the first phase of the lawyers’ struggle and its second phase would also meet its logical end with the blessings of Allah and support of civil society.

GUJAR KHAN: Political and lawyers’ leaders in Gujar Khan said the Supreme Court decision had set the future course of the country and the era of rule of law had been ushered in.

The nation has come out of the despondency and the clouds of despair have disappeared from the horizon, said PPP leader Mirza Abdul Rehman, Mirza Ramzan Advocate and Raja Tanveer Advocate.

They said the verdict would go a long way in strengthening the judiciary and other national institutions.

JHELUM: The District Bar Association Jhelum also welcomed the restoration of the chief justice.

Farooq Raza, president and Arshad Mirza, general secretary of the bar, paid tributes to the 13-member bench of the apex court on the historic verdict.

PPP MPA Raja Tariq Kiani said the decision had brightened the future of the country. He said the verdict was the victory of the rule of law and democracy over forces of dictatorship.