LAHORE, April 24: More participation and more political colour was witnessed on Tuesday when hundreds of lawyers, political and rights activists rallied on The Mall to protest against the ‘suspension’ of chief justice of Pakistan.

One more addition was a visible support from shopkeepers and passersby, who would wave to rally participants besides raising slogans in favour of their cause. Unlike previous rallies, most of the shops remained open on The Mall. Some of the shopkeepers also showered rose petals on the protesters.

“We are out to seek justice. We are out to make efforts to restore democracy,” Nazar Awan, an elderly political worker from the PPP, said while waving his party flag.

“There are certainly several issues forcing the people to take to the streets,” he said, adding that price hike had made life a hell for the commoners.

His fellow worker, Muhammad Intizar, said the rulers should realize now that no price hike victim was with them.

“People need a positive change,” said PML-N woman worker Anila Furqan.

It was the fourth peaceful rally held by the lawyers in the city since the beginning of the judicial crisis. Carrying party flags, banners and placards, the protesters chanted slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Besides lawyers, the participants represented the PPP, PML-N, MMA, PTI, Khaksar Tehrik and Labour Party Pakistan. Rights activists and members of NGOs, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Asma Jahangir also participated.

The lawyers in the city and elsewhere in Punjab also boycotted court proceedings and set up hunger strike camps. Banners hung on court premises in the city read slogans in favour of Justice Chaudhry. “We are fighting for the supremacy of law and constitution,” read one of the banners.

A lawyers rally led by the Lahore Bar Association was taken out from the Aiwan-i-Adal, which joined another rally at GPO Chowk taken out by lawyers from the Lahore High Court. From here, they marched up to the Faisal Chowk in front of Punjab Assembly building.

Hundreds of riot police deployed on The Mall did not intervene at any stage.

The protesters stayed at Faisal Chowk for about 30 minutes and returned to the high court. On the way they stayed for a while outside the office of Dr Khalid Ranjha and chanted slogans against him for what they said supporting the government against the suspended chief justice. Some protesters also removed a board carrying the name of former law minister.

Addressing the protesters at the court, LHC bar President Ahsan Bhoon urged them to remain united and peaceful as the struggle would continue till the reinstatement of the chief justice and the restoration of democracy. He also condemned issuance of legal notice to a private TV channel by the government for broadcasting live CJ’s Peshawar rally.

The rally badly affected traffic flow on The Mall and link roads.

The Punjab Bar Council meanwhile condemned baton charge on a lawyers’ rally in Vehari.

ETPB: Protesting lawyers were garlanded by tenants of the Evacuee Trust Property Board outside the Aiwan-i-Adl.