People from all walks of life are ready to give a red carpet welcome to Chief Justice Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry and Multan wears a festive look as all arrangements have been finalised in connection with his visit. The CJP is schedule to address the South Punjab lawyers' convention. Arrangements have been made at the lawn of LHC Multan bench.
The city is decorated with colourful banners and big size portraits of chief justice at different localities of the city and the building of LHC Multan bench was fully illuminated with lights on Friday night. Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig has appealed to traders, people, political parties and NGOs to accord a historic reception to the CJP.
A delegation of ten lawyers of Muzaffargarh Bar would walk to Multan barefoot on June 23 to receive the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Another group of lawyers would walk to Multan from Lodhran (80 km) to express their solidarity with the chief Justice.
More than 150 social, cultural, educational, traders, legal organisations and all opposition parties which include PPP, PML-N, Tehrik-i-Insaf, Pakistan Seraiki Party, JUP, JI, JUI, JAH, Pakistan Democratic Party, Tonga-Rehri drivers federation, APCA, Pakistan Labour Federation have planned to warmly welcome the Chief Justice of Pakistan on June 23.
Traders' bodies and political parties have designed extensively for the welcome. The South Punjab Chamber of Small Traders central president Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq has announced that thousands of people would receive the Chief Justice at Chowk Khumharanwala on June 23 on his arrival to express solidarity with him. He said that Chowk Khumharanwala and Madni Chowks would be illuminated with colourful lights.
More than dozen reception camps have been set up in the city on CJ procession route. Hundreds of pigeons have been set free as a symbol of freedom of judiciary. He said SPCST office bearers Khalid Mehmood Qureshi, Arshad Bajwa, Attaur Rehman, Jafar Ali Shah, Sheikh Abdul Samad, Sarfraz Sheikh, Salim Chohan, Khawaja Suleman, Mumtaz Babar, Ghazanfar Ali and others have been assigned respective tasks to welcome the CJP.
PPP city president Khurshid Khan told this scribe that party workers would give historic welcome to CJP from Chowk Khumharanwala to High Court Chowk with flags and banners installed along the roads. Khan said that party MPA Malik Arshad Ran and hundreds of party workers would receive CJ at Qadirpur Rawan entry of Multan.
He said a party delegation would also receive the CJ at Rango Pul near Kabirwala by-pass on Saturday. PPP would also establish reception camps at every square of Multan city and Qadarpur Raan.
The Punjab PML-N secretary information Bilal Butt said that party has set up main reception camp at Chowk Khumharanwala and at Chowk Rashidabad, PML-N women wing camp led by Sultana Shaeen would be set up. Butt said the PML-N leaders Malik Rafique Rajwana, Allah Nawaz Durani, Rana Noorul Hassan would remain present at the reception camp.
The PML-N youth wing took out motorbike rally in connection with CJ reception on Friday from Bawa Safra chowk and culminated at the residence of ex-senator Malik Rafiq Rajwana. The Punjab PML-N secretary information Bilal Butt was leading the rally.
Anjuman Muzareen has announced packing Lahore-Multan Road with hundreds of peasants to express solidarity with Chief Justice and farmers ridding tractor trolleys, bullock-carts would welcome CJP from Okara. The peasants' main reception would be held in Khanewal. The Anjuman Falah Kashtkaran has announced sacrificing goats and sheep on the arrival of CJP.
The Joint Action Committee for People's Rights of civil society organisations has announced receiving CJ at Chowk Kutchery and High Court Chowk and the JAC would establish reception camps at these points. The JAC representative Abdul Saboor told this scribe that the committee's comrades led by Malik Farrukh Raza would receive CJP in Sahiwal.
The Multan district bar association president Malik Akram Bathi told this scribe that historic welcome awaits in Multan for CJP while a big stage is being established under the flyover in front of district courts where he would be awarded honorary membership and shield of admiration. He said traditional dance and horses would present cultural dances to welcome Chief Justice. Bathi said counsels of Chief Justice include Aitzaz Ehsan, Munir A Malik and Ali Ahmed Kurd would deliver speeches at CJ reception camp.