RAWALPINDI, Jan 26: Lawyers here on Saturday staged a rally from Kachari Chowk to Punjab House and they were stopped by police near the Jinnah Park when they tried to move towards the Camp Office residence of President Pervez Musharraf.

They came out of the district courts at about 12.30 pm on main Jehlum road and stopped at Kachari Chowk where they protested against the removal of judges of higher judiciary and arrest of their leaders. They chanted slogans against government and in favour of deposed judges.

Lawyers were also joined by civil society members and students in their protest march. While marching towards the Punjab House, the protesters tore and removed the banners of Pakistan Muslim League candidates hanging on the Meo Road. The lawyers returned to the court peacefully.

Before starting their march the lawyers of Rawalpindi Bar Association (RBA) held a hunger strike camp. Some lawyers making speeches on the occasion said the legal fraternity wanted the President Musharraf to vacate the army house and let the army perform their professional duties independently.

They said the government was bent upon getting the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry evicted from his house and any such move on the part of the government would be resisted by the lawyers. The speakers demanded return of the removed judges, restoration of 1973 Constitution to pre-October 12, 1999 condition and release of their arrested leaders.

They vowed neither to give in nor to give up their endeavour for rule of law and independence of judiciary despite all odds. “No fear or favour can derail our struggle as we remain peaceful for our cause,” they added.

Our Correspondent adds from Attock: Lawyers vowed to continue their protest/strikes till the restoration of all deposed judges including deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and restoration of real democracy in the country.

They were addressing oath-taking ceremony of newly elected body of District Bar Association (DBA) Attock.

Senior lawyer Sheikh Afzal was the chief guest on the occasion, who took oath from the new DBA’s office-bearers including Raana Afsar Ali Khan (president) Syed Tahir Hussain Bukhari advocate (vice-president), Malik Israr advocate (general secretary), Malik Shahid Zulfiqar (joint secretary), Saqib Shazaib advocate (secretary finance), Malik Shafqatur Rehman (library secretary) and Muhammad Irfan advocate (auditor) and nine executive body’s members.

The speakers including Sheikh Afzal advocate, Rana Afsar Ali Khan advocate, Malik Israr advocate, Sheikh Ahsanuddin advocate and Syed Tahir Bukhari advocate said that the countrywide movement of lawyers would continue till the achievement of objective.