The lawyers leadership in Multan has warned the government against using force to prevent long march and subsequent sit-in, vowing that they are ready to defy all restrictions including imposition of section 144 and no force can stop flood of protesters, who are committed to bring change in the society. President of High Court Bar Multan, Mehmood Ashraf Khan, said.
"We are a peaceful community and would remain peaceful unless the government restore the pre 3rd November 2007 judiciary and stop using coercive means to halt our movement. He expressed his views while, addressing a press conference with representatives and office bearers of Multan Bar Association, High Court Bar Association, civil Society members, traders and doctors.
He said, Lawyers of southern Punjab would join the long march on Friday (today) and leave for Lahore on Friday evening. If the long march coming from Quetta & Karachi were prevented, they would start their long march towards Islamabad. Similarly Lawyers of Sukkur would continue their long march.
Mehmood Ashraf Khan said lawyers were not afraid of arrests and such tactics would not refrain them from participating in the planned march and achieving their target. He said imposition of section 144 had made it clear that rulers were frightened from lawyers organised movement, which had now become a movement for countrys survival.
Moreover, he said that the rulers had no moral or legal grounds to impose section 144 aiming at crushing their movement. He said lawyers would take their struggle its logical end at any cost and face state tyranny with courage and perseverance. He dispelled the impression that a political party had hijacked lawyers movement saying, "it was launched by the lawyers while the political parties are supporting it." Mehmood appealed to the people for taking part in the long march to make it a success.
He accused PPP government of becoming a protector of Musharrafs November 3, 2007 unconstitutional steps and vowed that lawyers would not end their movement till the annulment of these actions. He claimed that the PPP had put the country on the path of violence. He said the PPP had abandoned the practice of taking stock of peoples feelings rather it had started crushing them. He said if the lawyers were arrested they would not challenge them before PCO judges.