The long march launched to compel the government to revive the judiciary and reinstate deposed judges proceeded to Islamabad from the main gate of the Lahore High Court on Thursday evening. President Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ehsan, former presidents SCBA, Hamid Khan and Munir A Malik were leading the march.
The political parties including PML-N, Tehrik-e-Insaf, Labour Party, Tehrike Khakhsar, members civil society and human rights and political activists also joined the long march.
Tehrike Insaf Chief and Jamaat Islami Naib Amir Jamat-e-Islami seen in the long march. About one hundred buses with some cars were with the long march. Participants and others who came to see the long march were holding banners, placards, their party flags and chanting slogans against president Musharraf and the government who failed to reinstate the judges and were demanding independence of judiciary. Political parties had also hosted their party flags on the buses in which their workers were going to Islamabad. Deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chaudhry had already left for Islamabad after addressing the bar members here this morning.
Addressing the sending off ceremony of long march from Lahore to Islamabad Imran Khan said a conspiracy is being hatched in the country under National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
He said a political party and its leaders for their personal interests want to safe Musharraf and not to reinstate the judges. He said they are working against the judiciary and the democracy in the country. Imran said political leaders should understand this conspiracy and work together for strengthening democracy in Pakistan and asked Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to bring resolution in parliament for the reinstatement of the judges.
He said if PML-N brought resolution for the reinstatement of the judges so as to clear the faces of those who are against the reinstatement of the judges. He said their party workers are living Islamabad with the long march but he will joined them at Islamabad and welcome deposed Chief Justice at Islamabad Zero point. Later Nawaz Sharif joined the march caravan from Minar-e-Pakistan with his party workers.