LAHORE, June 10: The deposed judges of the Lahore and Sindh high courts are set to add to the grand reception of the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry being hosted by the Lahore High Court Bar Association.

Deposed Supreme Court judge Justice Raja Fayyaz has already reached Lahore to participate in the reception. Eight deposed judges of the Sindh High Court (SHC) would arrive here the city early Wednesday by Shalimar Express to participate in the event. They include Justice Sirmed Jalal Osmani, Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Maqbool Baqir, Justice Azhar Saeed, Justice Salman Ansari, Justice Arshad Siraj and Justice Abdur Rashid Kalwar.

Justice Osmani told Dawn that they would only be participating in the reception for Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry. He added they had no plans to participate in the long march.

The office-bearers of the LHCBA would receive the judges at the Railways Station. “We have also dispatched invitations to all the deposed judges of the Lahore High Court for participation in the reception,” said LHCBA president Anwar Kamal while talking to Dawn. They include Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice MA Shahid Siddiqui, Justice Sair Ali, Justice Arshad Jahangir, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman and Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

Mr Kamal said some of the deposed judges had already confirmed their participation while the rest would confirm it today (Wednesday). Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry is set to arrive at Allama Iqbal Airport at 5:50pm.

His arrival at the airport would coincide with deposed SHC Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmad, who would be brought to the LHCBA premises along with the deposed CJP in the form of a procession.

“We would like to start the function at 9:00pm,” said Mr Kamal, “because we would like to finish it up by 11, when the participants of the long march will start arriving in the city.” Keeping in view the participation of lawyers, political workers, students and members of the civil society, the event is likely to run late into the night. The event would include a speech by Justice Chaudhry on the premises of the Lahore High Court Bar, at the same spot used for his reception last year.

Later, Justice Chaudhry would see off the participants for Islamabad.