LAHORE, July 3: Hundreds of lawyers, political workers and civil society activists ignored the sweltering sun on Thursday to march on The Mall against the delay in the restoration of deposed judges.

The rally, organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA), started from Aiwan-i-Adl and concluded in front of the Punjab Assembly building. The political parties, associated with the All Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM), ensured that their presence is felt in the rally, as their workers almost outnumbered a few hundred lawyers from both bars.

Workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Pakhtoon Khawa Milli Awami Party and Labour Party held aloft their party flags and raised slogans against President Pervez Musharraf. Both in the rally and later in the speeches at the Charing Cross, Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was accused of dragging his feet on the restoration of the judges and following in the footsteps of Musharraf.

Rallying under the banner of Khaksar Tehrik, a group of children wearing khaki uniforms, raised slogans for the restoration of the judges. A few members of the Concerned Citizens of Pakistan and Women’s Action Forum also marched along the protesters.

After reaching the Charing Cross, the protesters broke into several groups and raised slogans such as ‘Adliya ki bahali tak jang rehey gi, jang rehey gi’ and ‘Musharraf ka jo yaar hey, ghaddar hey ghaddar hey’. Several protesters, holding pictures of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, raised slogans against the judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).

A truck, brought to the venue, served as platform for lawyers’ representatives and political leaders to convey their views to the protesters, who dispersed soon after their arrival. PML-N MNA Khwaja Saad Rafique said his party stood hand in hand with the lawyers till the restoration of the judges and impeachment of Musharraf.

He said the PCO judges may disqualify Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif “on the dictates of Musharraf, but I want to make it clear that the PML-N was even ready to give up the Punjab government for the sake of its principled stance”.

He said the PML-N had no link with the operation in the tribal areas and the NWFP. “Nobody consulted Nawaz Sharif on the operation.” He warned political parties against support to Musharraf. In a message to the PPP, he said the PML-N’s demands should be met at the earliest “because it could wait for a while, but not forever”.

Jamat-i-Islami Naib Amir Liaquat Baloch said they would not let any conspiracy damage the lawyers’ movement. He said the JI was fighting to eliminate the civil-and-military establishment and feudalism from the country. He said the PML-N, ANP and JUI-F should steer Zardari to the right direction. He said it would be a ‘blunder’ if Zardari ever tried to make an alliance with the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement or the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.

Earlier, lawyers appeared in courts against the Pakistan Bar Council’s call for boycott of proceedings every Thursday. LHCBA Secretary Rana Asadullah and some other lawyers went from courtroom to courtroom to have the call implemented, but to no avail.

Justice Najamuz Zaman entertained about two dozen cases well before the recess and lawyers appeared before him in all cases. The courts were found to be working even after the lawyers concluded their rally.