Massive lawyers’ protest in Lahore for restoration of judges
LAHORE: The lawyers fraternity resumed their countrywide protests on Thursday for the restoration of the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, other sacked judges of the superior judiciary and release of all detained lawyers.
The protest rallies were taken out in all big cities. Court proceedings were boycotted by the lawyers too.
In the provincial metropolis, thousands of lawyers took out the first post-election protest rally with massive participation of civil society and political parties. The rally marched from the Aiwan-e-Adal to the Punjab Assembly Chowk.
Despite expressing satisfaction over the election results and hailing the success of the PPPP and the PML-N, leaders of the lawyers were firm on their demands. They are asking the government to restore the judiciary to its pre-November-3 status.
Earlier, the lawyers after attending the general house meeting of the Lahore Bar Association marched from Aiwan-e-Adal towards the GPO Chowk. They were led by LBA President Manzoor Qadir.
The protestors held placards and portraits of Justice Iftikhar and Aitzaz Ahsan. They chanted anti-President Musharraf slogans throughout their march at The Mall.
The remarkable participation of lady lawyers turned the rally into a big procession.
The lady lawyers kept shouting full-throated slogans in favour of deposed CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry and detained lawyer leaders Aitzaz, Ali Ahmad Kurd and Tariq Mehmood throughout the march.
Their most frequent slogans were “Muk Gaya Tera Show Musharraf (Your show has finished), and “Iftikhar Teray Jaannisar Beshumar, Beshumar,” (Iftikhar your devotees are countless).
The lawyers also chanted slogans against former President of LHCBA Ahsan Bhoon. When the lawyers of LBA reached GPO Chowk, they were welcomed by the lawyers of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, who were already emotional after listening to the telephonic speech of Justice Iftikhar to the general house of the bar.
Activists of civil society, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Jamiat Tulaba, Khaksar Tehrik and the PPP also joined the lawyers at the GPO Chowk.
Then, the lawyers marched towards the Punjab Assembly square while chanting anti-Musharraf slogans, asking him to resign from the Presidency.
When the protestors were marching on The Mall, people abandoned what they were doing and started to watch the rally. Some people showered rose petals on the protestors when they passed under the overhead bridge at The Mall.
On reaching the Punjab Assembly Chowk, a group of young lawyers burnt an effigy of President Musharraf.
The bar leaders delivered speeches to the rally at the Chowk and pledged to continue their struggle till the restoration of the sacked judges.
Later, they peacefully dispersed and returned to their respective bars.
The protest at The Mall created trouble for the commuters due to traffic suspension for an hour.
Diversion towards the adjoining roads further played havoc with the traffic flow as long queues of vehicles were witnessed there.
Meanwhile, police deployed at The Mall stayed away from the protesters who vented their anger by chanting slogans against the President Musharraf.
Source: The News
Date:2/22/2008
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