RAWALPINDI, May 19: Lawyers here on Monday urged upon the civil society activists, students, members of labour unions and supporters of political parties to join them on May 24 when deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry would leave his residence in Islamabad for Faisalabad where he would address a lawyers’ convention in connection with the renewed campaign for the return of ousted judges.

The call was given by the representatives of all bar associations in Rawalpindi division in a meeting held at the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Hall.

The meeting was convened by the HCBA representatives to finalise the arrangements for their caravan taking the deposed CJ to Faisalabad from the federal capital.

In the meeting, which was also attended by Karachi Bar Association Secretary Naeem Qureshi, it was decided that the members of four district and 13 tehsil bar associations of Rawalpindi division would go to the CJ’s residence and escort him to Tarnol motorway interchange where lawyers from NWFP and adjoining areas would join them before moving towards Faisalabad.

Talking to media persons, HCBA President Sardar Asmatullah said the movement for the judges’ reinstatement had become a question of life and death for the lawyers, and they had reached at “the point of no return”.

He said the people announced their decision on February 18 when they voted against the actions of President Musharraf and now the people should come out on the streets to press the elected government for the reinstatement of those judge who said no to the unconstitutional steps of November 3.

The lawyers’ fraternity is united on one point agenda of the return of the judges and their struggle is not against any political force or for any political party rather they have aimed at restoration of the sacked judges.

The lawyers said: “What good purpose the PCO-judges could serve when they had failed to establish any writ against the illegal detention of the deposed judges and their families.”

They demanded that the judges that were appointed after November 3 should not be allowed to carry with on their duties.

Mr Asmatullah maintained that had Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan contested by-elections from Rawalpindi, the lawyers would have supported him strongly.

Responding to a question, he said in the by-polls the legal fraternity would support those candidates who would raise voice for the return of the judges.

Appreciating the decision of the government to pay five months’ salary of the ousted judges, he said it was difficult for the elected government to continue with the unconstitutional practices of the previous regime.

He hoped that the PPP-led collation government would come out with a solution acceptable to the struggling community of the lawyers.

When his attention was drawn to the absence of the president and secretary of Rawalpindi District Bar Association, he said they were informed late, so they could not reach the venue in time.