LAHORE, Feb 24: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Sunday warned political parties of a tough fight in case they tried to pull a fast one on the deposed judges being sought to be restored at the earliest.

“The political parties would err in thinking that they could support Musharraf and cast aside the restoration of the deposed judges,” the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief told protesters gathered in front of the Zaman Park residence of the detained Supreme Court Bar Association president Atizaz Ahsan. “Let me assure you the independence of the judiciary is closely linked to a bright future and prosperity (of the country),” he said.

To a query about a possibility of an understanding between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, he said the MQM was a `terrorist’ organisation and any understanding with it would mean betrayal of the cause of the democracy and the independence of judiciary.

Mr Khan had arrived at Zaman Park to participate in the rally the Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP) held every Sunday to make people aware of the importance of having an independent judiciary.

People from different walks of life, including lawyers, Student Action Committee (SAC) members and representatives of NGOs, came together to condemn curbs on the judiciary, the media and the civil society.

They also set on fire a copy of the PEMRA Ordinance under which the media was barred from airing live transmission.

Police barricaded both entrances leading to Aitzaz’s residence to preclude his contact with either the protesters or the press. In a recent protest, ignoring the police, several lawyers had entered Mr Ahsan’s residence and brought him out on their shoulders.

Though Mr Ahsan was not present because of restrictions on his freedom of movement, his wife Bushra echoed his views. “We know the independence of the judiciary preceded democracy otherwise chaos prevailed.” She added the call for the boycott of the election proved a step forward because it created such a pressure, which led to a cleaner polling in contrast to the pre-poll rigging.

She said it was pleasing to see the political parties, which were being played against each other by the agencies, were joining hands for the sake of democracy.

The dictator, who had been dictating the people since 1999, would not be able to play cat-and-mouse anymore because he ran out of time, she said.

She said the judges were going to be restored soon but the people needed to keep an eye on the state of affairs to ensure the judiciary remained independent.

After her speech, the protesters moved out of the Zaman Park and marched towards The Mall Road, holding aloft pictures of Mr Ahsan and the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, besides placards inscribed with slogan in deposed judges’ favour. They gathered on The Mall, distributed flyers among the people passing by in their vehicles and walked back before singing the national anthem.

Tabinda Khan, a PhD student, said being a student of political science her only concern was restoration of the judiciary because democracy hinged on its independence. The talk about whether or not the people gave political parties the mandate to restore the judiciary should not serve as an impediment for anyone to ensuring the independence of the judiciary.

After gathering before the barricaded entrance, several protesters pushed against the policemen while shouting slogans for Mr Ahsan’s release. They also demanded release of all the lawyers and judges unlawfully confined in their houses. They condemned the chief secretary, the home secretary and the IG for keeping Mr Ahsan confined.

Earlier, Professional Group head Hamid Khan advocate warned political parties against supporting Gen Musharraf (retired) and declared the chief justice subservient to the rulers. He asked the lawyers, the civil society and the political parties to bind themselves together for taking the movement for the restoration of the judiciary and the rule of law to its logical end.

Talking to protesters, Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (CCP) representative Hamid Zaman said the Constitution should be purged of the ills like the president’s power to dissolve the assembly and the 17th Amendment. He asked the establishment to refrain from taking repressive measures against the peaceful forces supporting the deposed judges.