ISLAMABAD, 14 June 2008 — Nearly half-a-million lawyers, political activists and members of civil society arrived in the Pakistani capital last night after a cross-country long march to demand the reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.
Flag-waving crowds chanting “Go Musharraf Go” gathered in Islamabad to welcome the caravan of tens of thousands of cars and buses.
Lawyers have led opposition to Musharraf since he fired nearly 60 judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, under emergency rule in November, and vow to stage a sit-in outside Parliament until the government restores the chief justice.
“We received a big ovation en route but the welcome in Rawalpindi crossed all limits. I am overwhelmed with emotions,” said Aitzaz Ahsan, a key Chaudhry aide.
Ahsan, the chief of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said: “Parliament must now respect the sentiments of people, the people have spoken and they want the restoration of the judges.”
Around 20,000 paramilitary troops and police were deployed ahead of the arrival of the lawyers after their 256 km-journey from Lahore, the culmination of a nationwide journey that began on Monday.
“We are out in the streets to save Pakistan,” Ahsan said. “We want social justice, we want political justice and constitutional justice. Our movement is to change the system.”
Military helicopters flew low over the protesters. Authorities used barbed wire and shipping containers to block the Parliament building in the capital and stationed armored personnel vehicles at several points.
“I have not slept since Thursday but do not feel tired. I am absolutely ecstatic at the support we received throughout the journey,” said lawyer Khawar Ali, who was traveling with the motorcade.
Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and sacked Chaudhry and around 60 other judges on Nov. 3 when it appeared they would overturn his re-election as president the previous month. He also tried to fire Chaudhry earlier in the year.
The new coalition government led by the parties of slain former Premier Benazir Bhutto and ex-PM Nawaz Sharif — which defeated Musharraf’s allies in elections in February — has vowed to restore the judges.
But it has been hobbled so far by disagreements over the mechanics, since bringing back Chaudhry could both lead to a standoff with Musharraf and also threaten an amnesty given to Bhutto’s husband on graft charges.
Sharif pulled his party’s ministers from the Cabinet in May over the issue. Many protesters waved the flags of Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party.
The government has announced several steps in recent days that indicate the restoration of the judges was imminent, including a decision to increase the size of the Supreme Court from 16 to 29.
It has also decided to pay seven months’ salaries to all those deposed by Musharraf, said a government spokesman.
— Additional input from agencies
