LAHORE, June 14: The PML-N, the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf have expressed their satisfaction over the response the lawyers’ long march in Islamabad had received with their backing, and hoped that now the government would restore the deposed judges without delay.

PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said on Saturday if the government used delaying tactics to annul the Nov 3 steps taken by President Pervez Musharraf, his party would consider giving another call for a march on the federal capital.

Also, he said, if the PML-N concluded that its senior partner - PPP - was unable to honour its commitment for the reinstatement of judges, the PML-N could seek guidance from its central working committee for its future course of action.

Asked why the ‘sit-in’ planned till restoration of judges was called off at the eleventh hour, the PML-N leader said the decision was taken by the legal fraternity. The PML-N, he argued, was only supporting the lawyers’ call for long march and all decisions were taken by them.

The PML-N spokesman said the long march had sent a very strong signal to all relevant quarters and now the government would be able to take any decision on the issue without facing any external pressures. He hoped that the judges would be restored after the budget session.

Jamaat-i-Islami amir Qazi Husain Ahmad said the long march had helped the lawyers and political parties mobilise people across the country for a particular cause. The level of turnout, he said, had established that the entire nation wanted the deposed judges restored and President Musharraf impeached and tried.

The JI chief said because of the delaying tactics being used for the reinstatement of judges, the popularity graph of the PPP government was going down by the day, benefiting the PML-N.

The Qazi said the PPP, the ANP and the JUI-F had not taken part in the long march in Peshawar, which showed their lack of commitment to the judges’ issue.

According to him, the long march organisers had no plan to stage a sit-in in Islamabad and all reports circulated by the media in this regard were baseless. He said in a hot and humid weather it was not possible for any party to go for a sit-in.

The Qazi said the present PPP leadership had returned to Pakistan as a result of a deal with President Musharraf, and in the presence of the National Reconciliation Ordinance they could not afford an independent judiciary. The rulers, he said, would not allow an independent Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to resume his judicial functions.

The Jamaat chief was of the view that an ‘emasculated’ Supreme Court would not be able to take bold and independent decisions.

Advocate Hamid Khan, a central leader of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, said the long march had enabled the lawyers and political parties supporting their cause to show their strength to those blocking the judges’ restoration.

He said if the government underestimated the importance of the long march, it would be a serious mistake.

Rejecting as rumours press reports that a sit-in in Islamabad had been planned after the rally, Hamid Khan said such a weapon could be used ‘next time’.

He said the future line of action would be decided by the Pakistan Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association and other relevant organisations. He advised the government to restore the judges immediately as the deadlines of April 30 and May 12 had passed long ago.