GUJAR KHAN, March 24: Lawyers and civil society on Monday welcomed Prime Minister-elect Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s decision to release all detained judges and termed the move a first step towards restoration of true democracy and rule of law in the country.

The Gujar Khan Bar Association’s general secretary Mirza Ahmed Idrees and former president Mirza Khurshid said Mr Gilani’s first order for removal of barbed wires and barricades laid around the residences of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges was, in fact, a step towards liberating the people of Pakistan from the shackles of a dictatorial regime. They said the people had given a heavy mandate to the winning parties of the February 18 elections for restoration of the judiciary that was stopped from functioning by the unconstitutional action taken by President Pervez Musharraf on November 3.

Mirza Abdul Rehman, former president of PPP Gujar Khan tehsil, and Advocate Iftikhar Hussain Qureshi also lauded the decision and said it was a giant leap towards freedom of judiciary in the country.

Malik Wazeer Mohammad, president and Chaudhry Farzand Ali, secretary general of the Potohar Press Club also expressed their gratitude towards the prime minister-elect for taking the bold decision.

ATTOCK: Lawyers in Attock also welcomed the decision and termed it a historic and bold action against the unconstitutional steps of the previous regime.

President District Bar Association Rana Afsar Ali Khan, member Supreme Court Bar Association Sheikh Ahsanuddin and former president DBA Sadaqat Ali Khan said the prime minister-elect’s decision was as per the sentiments of lawyers and civil society representatives who had launched a movement against the illegal detention of the deposed judges following imposition of emergency on November 3.

They termed the decision a victory of lawyers and the people of the country as a whole.

They also praised those who raised their voice for restoration of the judges and independence of judiciary.