LAHORE, July 20: Local lawyers’ community, civil society activists and political workers celebrated the Supreme Court decision by raising slogans, dancing to the drum beat and distributing sweets at the LHC premises and the GPO Chowk on The Mall here on Friday.

As the news of the SC decision was broken by electronic media, LHCBA members came out of the bar office and resorted to intensive sloganeering. They came out of the court premises, assembled at the GPO Chowk by blocking it to traffic and started chanting slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and in favour of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

A large rally of lawyers from Aiwan-i-Adl also joined them as workers of the PPP, the PML-N, Labour Party and Tehrik-i-Insaaf as well as civil society members also began to pour in there.

PML-N workers distributed sweets while PPP men showered rose petals on the people chanting vociferous slogans there.

A drummer was also brought in. He was made to climb a pillar of the LHC gate from where he played on his instrument as lawyers and others, whether young or elderly, danced to its beat.

Talking to the media, LHCBA president Ahsan Bhoon and secretary Omar Sarfaraz Cheema said the decision was approval of the lawyers’ stance and would help the nation get rid of 60 years ‘slavery’.

They said legal fraternity’s struggle was for the independence of judiciary as it would guarantee independence of other national institutions as well.

They said from now on no army dictator would be in a position to dislodge an elected government at the behest of the United States.

They said that it was a partial success of the movement which would continue till achieving its target of ensuring supremacy of the constitution and parliament.

A statement of the LHCBA issued in the evening greeted all those honourable judges of high courts who welcomed the CJP on various occasions during this trial and those who tendered their resignations as a show of solidarity with the CJP.

It also greeted professional bodies, trade unions and other civil society organisations which played their role in the movement.

LHCBA office-bearers demanded immediate resignations of the president and the prime minister as they had lost their moral right to rule the country after the SC decision.

They urged the civil society and the lawyers not to be lethargic after the decision as it was just the first step on the path of struggle.

APP adds: Justice Sajjad Ahmad Sipra retired said the decision would ultimately help in ensuring independence of judiciary and rule of law in the country.