LAHORE, June 14: Lawyers again boycotted court proceedings on Thursday and staged a rally to express solidarity with Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Workers from various political parties also joined lawyers.

The rally, led by Lahore Bar Association President Syed Muhammad Shah, was taken out from Aiwan-i-Adl after a weekly meeting of the bar.

The lawyers, carrying banners and raising anti-government slogans, marched towards the GPO Chowk where they were joined by the members of the Lahore High Court Bar Association and representatives of doctors, teachers and traders.

Later, the rally marched towards Faisal Square raising slogans in support of the chief justice. A large number of workers from the PML-N, the PPP, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Khaksar Tehrik, Awami Jamhoori Tehrik and Jamaat-i-Islami joined the rally near the Lahore High Court.

The protesters also staged a sit-in at Regal Chowk while marching towards Faisal Square. Rose petals were showered on them from the overhead bridge near Masjid-i-Shuhada.

Addressing the rally at Faisal Square, Punjab PTI Secretary-General Amin Zaki and Lahore President Shabbir Sial said political workers would not be cowed down by arrests and detentions. They would continue their struggle till the ouster of the rulers.

They called the budget “a pack of lies”, adding that people were ‘starving’ but the rulers were seeing prosperity everywhere.

Khaksar Tehrik President Hameeduddin Al-Mashriqi said the government had issued orders for his arrest and detention, but he would continue taking part in the movement “for the freedom of the judiciary and rule of law”.

Police had been deployed along the route of the rally from Aiwan-i-Adl to the Governor’s House. The route was closed to traffic before the rally and opened after the lawyers dispersed.

Earlier, addressing the weekly meeting of lawyers and civil society representatives at the Karachi Shuhada Hall, LHCBA President Ahsan Bhoon said the movement “for the protection of constitutional institutions and the restoration of the rule of law has shaken the rulers, therefore, they have started arresting and detaining political workers”.

He said people had ‘stood up’ against the dictatorship of Gen Musharraf and would not rest till his ouster.

LHCBA Secretary-General Sarfraz Ahmad Cheema criticised the government for a crackdown on political workers “without any provocation”. He said police had started a ‘witch-hunt’ of political workers and were violating sanctity of the four walls.

He said Federal Law Minister Wasi Zafar was giving ‘ridiculous’ statements to please Gen Musharraf.

He also condemned the murder of Tulaba Mahaz President Syed Wasaf Aziz in Karachi and demanded registration of a case against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Former LHCBA secretary Rana Mashhood Ahmad said the lawyers’ movement was “gaining momentum with the passage of time and will eventually topple Gen Musharraf”.