Aitizaz Ahsan was shown detention order by officials at his residence on Sunday. Despite detention orders, he reached the High Court premises later on, accompanied by lawyers. Meanwhile, police thronged the residence of Nawaz Sharif in Model Town and arrested a number of workers there.
Nawaz had also been detained in Lahore for three days but defying arrest orders he in company of a large number of workers, reached GPO where a strong battle ensued between workers and police.
In the residence of Nawaz batons were also used on workers who had gathered there. To make long march a failure, the provincial government had also put a lock on the main gate of Lahore High Court. However, a number of lawyers reached outside the Higher Court and raised slogans in favour of democracy and reinstatement of judges during morning hours. Human Rights leader Asma Jahangir and lawyer Iqbal Haider was also able to come on The Mall towards High Court. Asma said it was a pity that democracy had not brought in spirit in the country. She said it was shameful that long march had been so brutally stopped while the government was raising the banner of democracy.
Detention orders have been passed against Qazi Hussain for three days. The workers of the party raised slogans for long march in the Mansoora.
Slogans by lawyers Ifthikar tere jannasar, beshamar, beshmar were raised during protest in Lahore. Hamid Khan, lawyers leader, and Anwar Kamal, a former president of Lahore Higher Court Bar, also reached the outer premises of Lahore Higher Court despite the closure of Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam (The Mall). The lawyers resorted to sit-in in front of High Court, and then near GPO. The rallies of PML-N, JI, Khaksars and TI reached in front of the High Court, and the number of workers there grew with passing of time. The workers of PML-N were baton-charged in an attempt to reach the High Court.
The protesters were also pelting stones on police. The provincial administration said that there were no orders for arrest of leaders, but there were restraining orders for the safety of the leaders.
In the GPO tear gas shells were fired and workers were baton-charged. Nawaz Sharif, addressing a press conference earlier in the day, said that the entire country had been made a police state. He said there was scene of curfew everywhere and this could not block the will of the people. He said he had rejected his detention and would go out to protest. He said that he did not believe in the present courts, or their decisions. He said after 1947, the country had second time given the call to come out. Batil se darnaywale aie asman nahin hum, sao bar kar chuka hai tu imtihan hamara, he recited.
At GPO Chowk, fierce battle emerged between stone pelting workers and police, which freely used tear gas. Police also fired tear gas shells in the High Court premises where lawyers and group of political workers had gone in.
The PML-N leader defying detention orders, went for the long march. His motorcade went through Kalma Chowk, Ichra, Jainmandar. He also offered prayers at shrine of Data Gang Baksh and onward to Islamabad. Nawaz was accompanied by Zulifqar Khan Khosa, Sanaullah and a host of other workers. In another development the City DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta tendered his resignation.