The capital on Thursday witnessed charged legal community digging ashes from their virtually extinguished movement to ignite second leg of country-wide struggle to press the government for reinstatement of sacked judges by staging a protest demonstration in front of the Supreme Court.
Constitution Avenue was declared 'red zone', all roads leading it were blocked with barbed wires. Riot police along with Rangers were deployed on the avenue in order to avert any mishap.
Earlier, the government had asked the legal fraternity to defer its rally as prevailing situation was not suitable for public gathering or protests saying terrorists could strike the rally or any sensitive installation. However, the lawyers did not agree with the administration.
The protest demonstrations started from Rawalpindi and Islamabad High Courts, which submerged into one procession in front of the parliament lodges. The security personnel after blocking the procession let it go ahead.
Lawyers along with civil society members and few political activists reached in front of the Supreme Court building, irrespective of security risks highlighted by the government.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), which had assisted the legal community in bolstering the 'Long March', last month, was absolutely absent from the scene. Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamat-e-Islami once again came to illustrate their solidarity and commitment for the restoration of the deposed judges.
Hamid Khan, former president Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and leading icon of lawyers movement, Haroon Rasheed, president Islamabad Bar Council, Sardar Asmat Ullah, president Rawalpindi Bar Council and members of bar associations from across the country congregated in front of the Supreme Court building.
The atmosphere was once again resonating with anti Musharraf slogans, disapproval of judges who took oath under the PCO, promulgated by the President on November 3, last year. The government was severely criticised for its dilly-dallying approach to address the judicial crisis and not fulfilling its promise with the nation to reinstate sacked judges through an executive order.
Addressing the protesters, Hamid Khan said that today's rally is an eye opener for the government. The impression that lawyers' movement has come to an end after the 'long march' is merely a false assumption.
We demand the government to immediately reinstate sacked judges through an executive order as promised with the nation in Murree accord. The government should not inflame smoldering anger of the nation by lingering the issue, Hamid Khan added.
In his address, Sardar Asmat Ullah said we have come to shun the impression propagated by some evil forces that lawyers' movement has weaken to such an extent that it no longer exists.
He said the government is deceiving the nation by not fulfilling its promise of reinstating the sacked judges without any constitutional package. By hurting the aspiration of its nation it would not be possible for the government to sustain its rule, he added.
He said the leaders of ruling coalition should not forget that it was none other than Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry who paved the way for their homecoming from exile. It was Iftikhar Chaudhry who said 'no' to a dictator, which completely changed the political scenario, he added.
President Musharraf and its agencies are still busy in hatching conspiracies to demoralise the legal fraternity and avert the reinstatement of sacked judges. These efforts would not help them in achieving their goals, he added.
He said that the administration has warned us from arranging a rally due to the recent spate of terrorist activities in the country but we put our lives in danger and did not agree to compromise on our stance.
Haroon Rasheed said that the lawyers are striving from last one and half year merely for the supremacy of the constitution and rule of law in the country. Our movement is bereft of any ulterior motive as is being propagated by some evil forces.
He said that no one should even think that the movement for the reinstatement of deposed judges has come to an end. We will launch the movement with more vigor and zeal and it will not end till the reinstatement of deposed judges, he added.