ISLAMABAD, May 12: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry returned to Islamabad at 10:45 on Saturday night along with his panel of lawyers after remaining confined in the Karachi airport lounge for about 9 hours.

The CJ came out of the domestic arrival section of the airport at 11:15pm.

He was greeted by a large number of lawyers, political workers and youths who were chanting anti-government slogans.

In Karachi, the chief justice and his panel of lawyers insisted that his supporters, who had earlier gathered at the Sindh High Court, be allowed to receive him at the airport — a condition turned down by the provincial authorities.

The Sindh government offered to take the chief justice to the venue of the reception — either by car or by air — only if his lawyers disclosed the route of the rally.

Heavy contingents of police and ASF commandos had been deployed at Islamabad airport.

As Justice Iftikhar came out of the airport, Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool was about to leave for Lahore.

When the CJ’s flight landed the lawyers and political workers defied all security measures.

They raised slogans holding the government responsible for the carnage in Karachi. They surrounded the CJ, brought him out of the airport and accompanied him to a waiting car.