PESHAWAR, June 9: The lawyers and civil society groups from NWFP would depart on June 13 to take part in the long march in Islamabad.

Peshawar High Court Bar Association president Abdul Lateef Afridi said that complete boycott of all courts would be observed from June 10 till June 14.

Briefing journalists here on Monday, he stated that hundreds of lawyers, political activists and civil society members from NWFP would participate in the long march. He said that they would start their journey on June 13 to join a sit-in near the Parliament the next day. He added the sit-in would continue for 24 hours and future line of action would be decided by lawyers there. Retired judges of the superior courts would also participate in the long march, he said.

Mr Afridi informed that lawyers from Mardan, Malakand, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir would join their convoy at Nowshera, whereas those from Hazara region including Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra would join the main convoy at Hassanabdal. He stated that lawyers and political activists from southern districts would join their colleagues from NWFP at Tarnol.

“Our struggle is for the restoration of pre-Nov 3 judiciary and establishment of rule of law,” said Mr Afridi adding that their struggle would continue till the achievement of their objectives. He added that the long march was the part of their more than year-long struggle.

He stated that the nation had rejected General Pervez Musharraf in the Feb 18 general elections and he should now forthwith resign instead of hatching conspiracies against elected governments. He added that the lawyers’ movement would force Pervez Musharraf to quit presidency.

Our correspondent from Dera Ismail Khan adds: The father of slain student of Gomal University, Khan Sahib Shah, has joined the lawyers’ long march to Islamabad and declared to observe hunger strike till death in front of the Supreme Court.

The deceased student Asif Ali Shah was killed last year on the premises of the university in D.I. Khan. The father of the deceased student appealed to the then Supreme Court Chief Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar for justice. The chief justice while taking suo motu action ordered inquiry into the incident and provision of speedy justice to the bereaved family.

However, after the deposing of the Justice Iftikhar, the action against his son’s assailant also delayed so he decided to join the high court bar in its long march for restoration of deposed judges. He vowed to observe hunger strike till death for restoration of deposed Chief Justice Iftikar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges.