UPPER DIR, Nov 11: People protesting against the imposition of a state of emergency in the country, particularly lawyers and jurists, seek immediate reinstatement of the deposed judges, restoration of the Constitution, removal of the judges who took the oath under the PCO and release of the arrested lawyers, political workers and social activists.

However, lifting of the ban on the electronic media has been the most stressed upon demand of political parties, lawyers and journalists. “The ‘martial law’ is purely against the judiciary and media,” Syed Jehangir Jan said during a lawyers’ demonstration here the other day.

Members of the legal community marched through Dir Bazaar and shouted anti-Musharraf and anti-army slogans. They also raised slogans in favour of the removed judges and arrested lawyers.

The demonstration was a well-attended one.

District Bar Association president Ziarat Gul, general secretary Javed Roghani, Jehangir Jan, Ahmad Ali Yousufzai, Hanifullah and Mohammad Rashid addressed the protesting lawyers.

They said Gen Musharraf after grabbing power illegally and destroying the political system, took on the judiciary and the media.

“The judiciary resisted the illegal actions by the dictator and the media showed him his ugly face,” Ziarat Gul said while explaining why the government targeted the two institutions.

The speakers said they would not tolerate gagging the media and passed a resolution for immediately lifting the ban on the electronic media.

Ahmad Ali said Gen Musharraf had been introducing new draconian laws to subjugate the media and the judiciary in order to prolong his unconstitutional rule.

“He (Gen Musharraf) wants everyone to accept each and every word uttered from his mouth as established law,” he said.

He complained that the nation’s own army had been occupying its own country and browbeating its people despite the fact that it was legally and morally wrong. “When people remind them it is not their job, they start swinging batons and showering bullets on them,” he said.

The lawyers said their movement would continue till the reinstatement of the sacked judges and restoration of the Constitution.