QUETTA, March 31: Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd when he arrived in his hometown on Monday for the first time since his release after five months in detention in Islamabad.

Besides lawyers, thousands of workers of Baloch and Pukhtun nationalist parties and other people received the chief justice.

The supporters of the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Jamhoori Watan Party, Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) and representatives of trade unions and non-government organisations were carrying Justice Iftikhar’s pictures and their parties’ flags. Banners welcoming the chief justice were hoisted along the roads.

The airport compound echoed with slogans of ‘Long live the chief justice’ and ‘Go Musharraf go’ as Justice Iftikhar emerged from the terminal. He was showered with rose petals.

Former vice-chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Ali Ahmed Kurd, Balochistan Bar Association president Baz Mohammad Kakar, Balochistan High Court Bar Association president Haji Shakeel Ahmed, National Party chief Dr Hayee Baloch, BNP-M secretary-general Habib Jalib and PMAP leaders Usman Kakar, Lala Rauf and Abdul Raheem Ziaratwal were present at the airport.

Justice Iftikhar’s motorcade took about eight hours to reach the BHC. He travelled in a bullet-proof vehicle.

Justice Iftikhar said he was happy to return home after over a year. “Quetta is my home,” he said.

Strict security measures had been taken with police, including personnel of the anti-terrorist force, armed with automatic rifles and several armoured personnel carriers deployed at the airport.

Supreme Court Bar Association chief Aitzaz Ahsan said the chief justice’s supporters would not organise protests to press for reinstatement of the deposed judges, but warned that their campaign would continue if the government failed to fulfil its commitment.

Referring to the deadline of 30 days given by the ruling coalition for restoring the judiciary, he said: “If they want us to start the countdown from today, we’re ready. Today’s show proves that the people of Pakistan want independence of the judiciary,” he said.

Justice Iftikhar plans to tour different parts of the country to meet lawyers over the next month.