February 22, 2008	Friday	Safar 14, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 21: A 2,000 strong lawyers’ rally in its first post-election show reiterated their demand for the reinstatement of judges sacked under the Nov 3 Provisional Constitution Order (PCO). As lawyers’ determination with their cause was evident through their charged chants against the PCO, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) workers were conspicuous by their absence from the rally that urged the government in-waiting to restore the judges soon after gaining power.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Jamaat-i-Islami, Khaksar Tehrik and Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP) workers, however, marched along the lawyers rallying under the banners of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA).

Deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry addressed the LHCBA through telephone and said that he hoped the movement launched by lawyers, civil society activists, students and doctors would bring about results and all deposed judges would soon be restored.

The march emerged from Aiwan-i-Adl and terminated at Charing Square. LHCBA layers joined the rally outside GPO crossing.

Amid anti-Musharraf chants, the lawyers marched on The Mall with the portraits of Justice Chaudhry in their hands. Besides anti-Musharraf chants, a group of lawyers also shouted slogans against the Lahore High Court judges who took oath under the PCO. The protest also attracted the attention of traders and shopkeepers and their customers who stood along the road and watched the protesters. Some showered rose petals on the protestors when they passed under an overhead bridge at The Mall.

At Charing Square, some lawyers burnt an effigy of Musharraf. Bar leaders spoke to the rally at the square and pledged to continue their struggle till the restoration of judges. Later they peacefully dispersed and returned to their respective bars.

Earlier, addressing the LBA, Justice Khwaja Mohammad Sharif, also a victim of the PCO, said he did not pin much hopes to parliament for the restoration of the deposed judges because of the prevailing state of affairs. He said lawyers’ movement had failed the move against the chief justice on March 9, and if the judges, deposed on Nov 3, were restored, it would be because of their movement.

He said Gen Musharraf (retired) should be worried about his claims that he had silent vote in his favour. He said the people had rejected him on Feb 18 through the ballot. He said the chief justice was a brave man as he had said “no” to President Musharraf in front of five generals.

Addressing the LHCBA, another deposed judge MA Shahid Siddiqui said that lawyers’ movement had no political goal as it was purely a movement to establish rule of law.

He said Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar had subverted the constitution and if he was not removed from his slot, the judiciary would never get freedom from the dictators’ clutches.

He warned political parties if judges were not restored they would also have to face the music.

Another sacked judge, Sheikh Azmat Saeed, who made his first public appearance since Nov-3, said a two-third majority in parliament was not required to restore the pre-Nov 3 judiciary.

He said people had voted for democratic forces and now it was their responsibility to live up to people’s expectations who wanted the real judges back.

He also paid tribute to lawyers, representatives of civil society and all section of society for backing the judges.

LHCBA President Firdous Butt said the results of the Feb 18 elections were fruits of lawyers’ movement against the dictatorship. LHCBA Secretary Sarfraz Cheema thanked the “deposed” LHC judges for being with lawyers and hailing their struggle for the restoration of the judiciary.