LAHORE, March 9: Supreme Court’s deposed judge justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said on Sunday the drive for the independence of judiciary, which began after the murder of judicial officer (SC) Hammad Raza, was nearing its end. SC additional registrar Hammad Raza was slain on May 14 in Islamabad.

Justice Ramday said this while talking to the participants of a car rally at his residence. The rally began from the residence of Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan’s residence in Zaman Park.

Hundreds of lawyers, activists, political workers and students attended the rally by the Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP) to mark a ‘black flag week’ being observed to show solidarity with deposed judges.

Justice Ramday said the movement lawyers had launched on March 9, 2007, had added a golden chapter to the history books.

He said the people of Pakistan had stood up and made it clear to the rest of the world that they were a nation, alive and conscientious.

He said the lawyers' movement was not for the restoration of an individual but for the survival of national institutions. Mr Ramday was the head of a bench that was proceeding with a case regarding the candidature of President Pervez Musharraf in the presidential election at the time of imposition of emergency on Nov 3. Mr Ramday spoke high of Chief of Army Staff Pervez Kiyani, former SCBA presidents Munir A Malik and Justice (retd) Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd and Mr Ahsan.

He paid tributes to Justice (retd) Mahmood, saying that he had sacrificed his job as the Balochistan High Court judge in 2002 when all other judges, including himself, were in hibernation at that time.

He said he had no words to express his feelings for lawyers, civil society and students for keeping the movement alive in face of hardships.

The protesters chanted slogans in favour of deposed judges and against President Mushrraf. They waved black flags and wore black armbands.

Some participants put stickers on cars carrying slogans for the reinstatement of judges. The rally arrived at Justice Ramday's residence via Canal Road and Jail Road.

As the rally reached the GOR-I, no law enforcement official stopped them from entering the area. The Lahore High Court has declared the GOR-I a 'no-go zone' for the common man.

Mr Ahsan also met Justice Ramday and had a chat with him for an hour. He congratulated the justice for his “likely restoration”.

Earlier, Bushra Aitzaz said everyone wanted the restoration of the judiciary sooner than later because it was in the best interest of the country.

She said when (deposed) Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was restored, activists would sing the national anthem outside the Supreme Court.

Hamid Zaman, Justice Nasira Iqbal (retired), Mansoor Ali Shah, Saima Khwaja, Muhammad Azhar Siddique and Beena Qureshi were present.