June 14, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 09, 1429

PESHAWAR, June 13: Convoys of lawyers, political activists and civil society members set out for Islamabad from different parts of the province here on Friday morning to participate in the long march for restoration of deposed judges.

The convoys comprising thousands of people were accorded warm welcome on the way to Islamabad at different towns on the Grand Trunk Road, especially at Nowshera, Akora Khattak, Jehangira and Khairabad.

One of the main vehicular processions started from the Peshawar High Court where it was bid farewell by deposed PHC Chief Justice Tariq Pervez Khan and deposed judges, Justice Shahjehan Khan and Justice Dost Mohammad Khan.

That procession was led by PHC Bar Association president Abdul Lateef Afridi, secretary-general Essa Khan, vice-president Fida Gul, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Pakistan Muslim League-N secretary-general Iqbal Zaffar Jhagra.

The convoy comprised dozens of vehicles, including cars, buses, wagons and coasters, which were decorated with banners and posters carrying portraits of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and slogans in his favour, and against President Pervez Musharraf.

Some lawyers had also brought their children for participating in the long march. Despite scorching heat, lawyers and activists of the PML-N, Jamaat-i-Islami and the Tehrik-i-Insaaf turned up in large number eager to go to Islamabad.

A convoy of female activists of the PML-N also went to Islamabad for joining the long march there.

The convoy was led by MNA Ms Imtiaz Bukhari, MPA Shazia Aurangzeb and others.

Convoys from other parts of NWFP joined the procession at different stations. Lawyers from Swat, Upper and Lower Dir, Charsadda, Mardan and Malakand joined the convoy at Nowshera.

Similarly, marchers from the Hazara region, including Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra, joined them at Hassanabdal on the GT Road. Lawyers from southern districts of Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, etc directly went to Tarnol near Rawalpindi.

While bidding farewell to the lawyers, Justice Tariq Pervez told journalists that they were still judges of the high court because a military dictator could not remove them from their posts.

“Releasing our outstanding salaries to us proved that the government considers us judges of the superior courts,” he said. He maintained that the Provisional Constitution Order and the proclamation of emergency by President Musharraf were illegal and unconstitutional.

The non-functional judges said they had not taken oath under the PCO as per the order of the Supreme Court and had not committed anything wrong. They added that they were punished only for declining to violate the oath they had taken under the Constitution.

Addressing the people and media persons at different places, Qazi Hussain Ahmad said the long march would culminate with the removal of President Musharraf and restoration of the deposed judges.

He said the thousands of people coming from different parts of the country and joining the long march proved that the masses were in support of an independent and vibrant judiciary, which could safeguard their rights.

He alleged that the US had turned Pakistan into its colony whereas Pervez Musharraf was acting like a viceroy.

A convoy of lawyers from the Charsadda District Bar was joined by activists of political parties, including the PTI, JI and the PML-N. The vehicular procession joined other groups at Nowshera.

MANSEHRA: A big caravan of lawyers, civil society members, traders and activists of political and religious parties departed for Islamabad from the district.

Hundreds of well-wishers and supporters of the deposed judges saw-off the caravan for Islamabad, chanting slogans against President Musharraf and for restoration of deposed judges.

Lawyers, holding banners and placards, took out the procession from the court premises and after marching through various roads reached outside the Gazikot Township from where they joined the caravan of political parties and the civil society.

Talking to the participants, District Bar Association president Hafiz Naseem Khan and others alleged that President Musharraf had blindly extended support to United States in its so-called war on terrorism and killed innocent people of the country.

They said President Musharraf had sacked judges of the superior courts to legalise and give cover to his unlawful and unconstitutional deeds and prolong his dictatorship.

“This long march will prove a last nail in the coffin of Musharraf and he will be expelled out of the presidency because he is the killer of thousands of innocent people,” they said.