QUETTA, March 13: Supreme Court Bar Association president Ali Ahmed Kurd said here on Friday that the lawyers’ long march and sit-in would go ahead in accordance with the schedule.

He told Dawn after returning to Quetta from Jacobabad, where the Sindh government did not allow a caravan led by him to proceed to Sukkur, that the lawyers would not change the schedule of the long march unless there was an official announcement regarding reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other deposed judges.

About private TV channel reports that the federal government had contacted the lawyers’ leadership, he said he had no information about any such move.

He said that on Thursday night the caravan led by him had decided to stage a sit-in on the highway near the border between Balochistan and Sindh, but after further discussion on Friday morning they decided to return to Quetta so that lawyers, political workers and members of the civil society could make arrangements to travel individually or in groups by road, train or plane to Islamabad to take part in the long march and sit-in on March 16.

Mr Kurd said he would fly to Lahore on Saturday morning with Balochistan High Court Bar Association president Shakeel Ahmed Hadi, Balochistan Bar Association president Amanullah Baloch and former BBA chief Baz Mohammad Kakar.

Our Correspondent in Sukkur adds: Meanwhile, the area connecting the provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan at Dera More near Kashmore has been sealed to stop long march convoys from entering Punjab.

Heavy contingents of police, Rangers and Levies have been deployed along the border.

Ordinary passengers are facing hardship because of the blockade and they have to wait for hours for security checks.
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