The threat and rumours of suicide attacks along with the scorching heat resulted in a low turnout of lawyers at the rally held outside the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Talking to Business Recorder, Humaira Shibli a member District Bar Association Karachi said "We will fight till our last breath for the freedom of judiciary and restoration of sacked judges". She said that the government had tried a lot to foil the rally by spreading rumours of suicide attacks and blocking the entry routes to capital.
"A large number of lawyers and social activists from several districts tried to participate in the rally but the government - by putting barricades at various entry points - did not allow them to be a part of it", she said. The rally was being organised on the call of local lawyers, but lawyers from various districts reached Islamabad and participated in the rally with full zeal.
When asked why the long march ended without a future strategy, she replied that though it was a great effort, but there was no doubt that it ended too early. "I agree that the lawyers and the other participants would have stayed long in the capital and made the long march more successful, but it provided a strong platform for future strategy to the lawyers to continue their struggle for the freedom of judiciary", she maintained.
She further said that the security forces at the entrance of the Supreme Court building were not allowing them to enter and the people sitting inside the building would not come out and face the lawyers.
Saira Ali and Shabana Qadir, members of the District Bar Council Sialkot said that it was a great honour for them to be part of this rally and this movement. They said that it was encouraging to see that despite rumours of suicide attacks, a number of lawyers did participate in the rally.
The gathering of lawyers from different districts reinforced that the lawyers are still struggling for the freedom of judiciary, they maintained.
Commenting on the low presence of lawyers they said that the main reason was that a majority of the lawyers have gone on vacations and that the threats of suicide attacks had also discouraged many.