ISLAMABAD, June 15: Lawyers’ movement cannot be crushed by arresting political activists and ordinary people, according to chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto.

She was reacting to news reports that hundreds of arrests had been made to prevent people from welcoming the Supreme Court Chief Justice during his visit to Faisalabad on Saturday.

Highlighting the importance of independent judiciary, she said her party believed that it was key to the functioning of a political system that protected the rights of the underprivileged.

Ms Bhutto urged the arrested party workers and others to keep their morale high.

She said that on June 12, the Punjab High Court had declared the detention of six political activists from Multan as illegal but provincial government had committed contempt of court by refusing to implement the court’s orders.

Condemning the arrests of political workers and other people, she said it was a tyrannical act that violated the people’s basic constitutional rights to free assembly.

She also urged the government to provide security to the Chief Justice during his visit to Faisalabad .

Meanwhile, PPP’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar has condemned the death of party activist Sarmad Mansoor in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Mr Babar said that the Party would initiate legal action against people responsible for the “torture and murder” of Sarmad Mansoor.

He also urged the judiciary to take suo motu action, order an investigation, arrest and prosecute people found to be involved in the incident and urged human rights organisations to raise their voice against state repression.

PPP’s Secretary Information Sherry Rehman also condemned the government for Mr Mansoor’s death and declared it to be a ‘murder’.

She demanded that all officials concerned, who refused to release Mr Mansoor on health grounds, should be booked for his death.