LAHORE, March 10: Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan on Monday led a lawyers' rally from Aiwan-i-Adl to the Chairing Cross to reaffirm their commitment to have the deposed judges restored.

Hundreds of lawyers rallied with Mr Ahsan, who was accorded a warm welcome at the Aiwan-i-Adl.

More than 2,000 lawyers, political workers, human rights activists and traders marched from Aiwan-i-Adl to Chairing Cross.

The Lahore Bar Association (LBA), after its general house meeting, brought out the protest procession and Aitzaz Ahsan’s presence provided a fresh zeal to the lawyers.

They carried black flags, black banners, placards and wore black armbands and joined their peers, who gathered at the GPO Chowk in the leadership of Lahore High Court Bar Association president Anwar Kamal and other office-bearers.

When the protesters reached Regal Chowk, traders showered them with rose petals and provided them with drinking water.

Activists of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Jamaat-i-Islami, Tehreek-i-Khaksar and traders of Anjuman-i-Hall Road participated.

They chanted 'go Musharraf go" and "judges ko bahaal karo”. Women lawyers also made their presence felt by marching throughout the route. People stood by on footpaths and made victory signs to the passing participants while Punjab University students took pictures through their cell phones.

Earlier addressing the LHCBA general house meeting, its president Anwar Kamal lauded the PPP and PML-N for agreeing in principle with lawyers' demands for the restoration of deposed judges.

He said he also hoped that the agreement of restoration of judges would be executed. He said lawyers’ struggle would continue till the restoration of all deposed judges.

He made it clear that the movement was not against any political party, but it was against the dictator, who had usurped rights, suspended the constitution and arrested the judges.

Mr Kamal demanded that the session of parliament be summoned within 48 hours and Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan released from illegal detention.

He also said that lawyers of Lahore fully supported the application for FIR in Islamabad against government high-up for torturing lawyers.

Justice Mian Aftab Farrukh (retired) said because of the lawyers' movement, Pakistani people had given their verdict against Musharraf on Feb 18 by voting against him. He advised the lawyers to maintain unity in their ranks for it was nearing its logical end.

LHCBA secretary Rana Asadullah announced schedule for marking the black flag week against the government, which started on March 9 and would continue till March 16.

He said there would be a general house meeting of the LHCBA on March 9 where lawyers would give their suggestion for accelerating the movement.

On March 12, the LHCBA would launch Karwan-i-Iftikhar that would be taken out from the Lahore High Court and after taking a round of different parts of the city terminate at Data Darbar, he said.

Mr Asadullah said on March 13 the LHCBA would hold a protest meeting and a protest rally on The Mall. "No lawyer would appear before the courts that day," he said.

On March 14, the LHCBA would hold its general house meeting to review the movement, he said.

On the last day of the black flag week, there would be an All Pakistan Lawyers' convention at the LHCBA hall.

Meanwhile, lawyers boycotted court proceedings and hoisted black flags to mark the second day of the black flag week.

In the city, black flag hoisting ceremonies were held at the offices of the Punjab Bar Council, Lahore High Court Bar Association and Lahore Bar Association. Black flags were put up at the main gates, fences and walls of the bar offices while a number of banners displaying the demand for restoring the judges were fixed.