The ruling Pakistan Muslim League took out a much-escorted but lacklustre rally, expressing loyalty to President General Pervez Musharraf and favouring the reference moved against the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The PML also announced to bring two million supporters to Islamabad on May 12 to express support to what they called "constitutional and legal move" by President General Pervez Musharraf against the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The issue took a new turn when for the first time since filing of the Presidential Reference against the Chief Justice, the ruling party took to the streets to show its power in favour of what they called the "Independence of Judiciary".
Led by PML Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the rally was taken out from its Central Secretariat and terminated at the Parade Avenue, where the personnel of law enforcement agencies heavily guarded and erected bars on the roads. On the other side, the furious protesting lawyers and workers of the opposition parties were chanting anti-government and pro-Chief Justice slogans.
To avoid any untoward situation, as the rival lawyers and opposition parties were in full mode to react the move, the PML leaders decided to end up their rally at the Parad Avenue and addressed it before disbursing. Besides some of the black coats-clad demonstrators, few federal and state ministers, MNAs and woman activists were also among the participants but none of the ministers or workers from the coalition partners were seen in the government-sponsored rally.
The participants did not seem as enthusiastic as it was claimed by some of the party leaders the other day. They were holding flags, sticks and portraits of the President General Pervez Musharraf and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
The slogans were "Yes Musharraf Yes", "Musharraf tere Janisar bay shoomar bay shoomar", "don't make politics on judicial issues" "let the judiciary be independent" "Why legal matters on roads. "We support the constitutional and legal move of the President" etc.
Addressing the rally, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that that PML would not violate the sanctity of the judiciary by interfering in the proceedings. He called upon the opposition parties not to create law and order situation by politicising the presidential reference, which is purely a judicial and constitutional matter and yet to be decided by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
He opined that the President has taken a constitutional and lawful step by sending a reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to SJC and everyone including the opposition should wait for the decision of this highest judicial forum.
Shujaat claimed that the participation of thousands of lawyers and the PML workers in today's rally, which was called on a short notice, proves the fact that the people are fully supportive of the President General Pervez Musharraf.
He criticised the opposition parties saying the political parties who are now taking out rallies in front of Supreme Court in the name of judicial independence comprise the same elements who in the past had attacked the Supreme Court building and used insulting words against the honourable judges. He also lamented the opposition parties for raising slogans against the country's vital national institutions like "Army".
Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Muhammad Ali Durrani speaking on the occasion, said the holding of rallies in front of the Supreme Court building by the opposition parties and politicising a judicial and constitutional matter means to insult the judiciary and the PML would not allow this to happen. The next time, he said that the PML would demonstrate more power to the people that majority of the population is with General Pervez Musharraf.
"We thought that legal and constitutional matters will be allowed to be decided in the court but now it is felt that the issue is being politicised. We will also gather millions of people in front of the Supreme Court next time" he vowed.
"If 20,000 people can participate in today's rally on a call given by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain within 24 hours, then this number can rise to two million," he claimed. Durrani also called upon the lawyers' community not to be exploited by the opposition parties, trust the judicial process and wait for the SJC decision.
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