January 17, 2009	Saturday	Muharram 19, 1430

KARACHI, Jan 16: President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmed Kurd said on Friday that the second long march scheduled for March 9 would prove to be the final round of indefatigable movement of lawyers.

Addressing the general body meeting of Malir Bar Association held at the bar room on Friday, the firebrand lawyer stated that it was the lawyers’ movement that had forced General Musharraf to doff his uniform and let the exiled politicians return to their homeland. He said that for the reinstatement of the deposed judges the masses had given politicians a heavy mandate in the Feb 18 general elections, but afterwards the rulers refused to fulfill their pledge.

He was of the view that an independent judiciary was essential for a civilised and democratic society but the parliament was not playing its due role for the restoration of Nov 2, 2007 judiciary only because it was held hostage by certain elements.

“A parliament without the concept of an independent judiciary will not be acceptable anymore,” he said, adding that Justice Iftikhar was being treated as the chief justice by the masses as they wanted an independent judiciary in the country and were standing by the lawyers for his reinstatement.

While asking the masses to participate in the long march, the SCBA chief said March 9 would change the destiny of the country, adding that he was sure that Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other deposed judges would be reinstated to their pre-PCO positions after the long march.

Justice Iftikhar due today

Lawyers, political leaders and representatives of civil society on Friday vowed to accord a rousing welcome reception to the deposed chief justice of Supreme Court, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, upon his arrival at the Karachi airport on Saturday.

Addressing a joint press conference at the Karachi Press Club, president of the Karachi Bar Association Mohammad Ali Abbassi and general-secretary Naeem Qureshi said that Justice Iftikhar would arrive here at 11.30am on Saturday. He would attend oath-taking ceremony of the Karachi bar’s newly-elected body to be held at 4pm on the premises of the city courts.

Mr Abbassi said the authorities had assured the bar of adequate security measures for the deposed chief justice.