Dawn.com’s Musadiq Sanwal reports live from Lahore as the second lawyers’ Long March picks up momentum. While lawyers and political activists of the PML-N march on, he will have updates from the protests, the word on the street, and stories from the sidelines. Return to The Dawn Blog for live updates, feature stories, and multimedia specials.

Update at 21.05 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

Government spokesman Farhatullah Babar announced on State TV that Information Minister Sherry Rehman had indeed resigned, and that Prime Minister Gilani had accepted her resignation.

Qamar Zaman Kaira has been appointed the interim Information Minister.

Update at 20.29 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

Government spokesman Farhatullah Babar announced that the GOP would file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the Sharif brothers' disqualification by next week.

The move reportedly came after a high-level meeting between PM Gilani and President Zardari, and many telephone conversations between Zardari and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton according to Dawn News.

Senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar hailed what he deemed a 'corrective measure,' but stated that his party could not budge 'one inch' on the issue of the restoration of the deposed judges.

Update at 17.10 PST: FROM LAHORE-ISLAMABAD MOTORWAY

I am headed from Lahore to Islamabad on the Motorway, where few buses or cars are visible (in fact, there seems to be more traffic headed from Islamabad to Lahore). Getting on to the Motorway headed towards Islamabad was, however, an ordeal.

I had initially planned to leave Lahore on Sunday afternoon, but was told that leaving the city tomorrow would be near impossible. I then altered my plans and left Lahore at about 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. On arriving at the Motorway at about 3:30 p.m., I found myself caught in bumper-to-bumper, slow-moving traffic. Police were checking each car as it headed to Islamabad, causing massive delays.

Update at 17.00 PST: FROM MULTAN

According to Dawn's Multan correspondent, Shakil Ahmed, containers have been placed at the city's exit points to prevent movement from Multan to Lahore. The rally of lawyers and PML-N party workers arrived at the exit point, Chowk Kumharawala, where they dispersed peacefully after raising slogans (the protesters had not planned to try and leave Multan from this exit point as they had not organized any transport or a caravan). Police did not try to block the rally at any point while it was underway.

Update at 16.45 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

According to Dawn News television, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has refused to accept Sherry Rehman's resignation from her office as Minister for Information.

Update at 15.50 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

Zardari has refused to negotiate with the PML-N. Speaking on the condition of annonymity, a senior government official has said, “From what I know, President Zardari has made it clear: 'I am not going to negotiate under pressure. Mr Sharif has to abandon the 'long march'.”

Update at 15.30 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

According to Dawn News television, a military spokesman has reported that the government has requested that Army troops be deployed in sensitive areas to help ensure security during the Long March.

Update at 15.15 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

Prime Minister Gilani has yet to accept the resignation of Information Minister Sherry Rehman. They are currently in a meeting discussing her resignation.

Update at 14.40 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has announced that no processions or sit-ins will be allowed on Constitution Avenue in the capital city. He claims that he offered protestors three alternate venues to stage sit-ins, but that these offers were declined. He is now inviting Long March participants to decide alternate venues with him. Escorts will be provided to lead protesters to alternate venues, he says.

Malik has also assured foreign diplomats that there will be no sit-in on Constitution Avenue. He warned, once again, of the possibility of a suicide or targeted attack at the venue of the Long March sit-in.

Update at 14.25 PST: FROM KARACHI

Munir Malik and Rashid Rizvi, who were arrested on March 12 at Karachi's Toll Plaza, are expected to arrive in Lahore today at 15.30 PST.

Update at 14.20 PST: FROM FAISALABAD

Despite the imposition of Section 144, lawyers in Faisalabad are preparing to travel to Lahore and Islamabad.

Update at 13.45 PST: FROM MULTAN

Although containers are blocking Bosan Road in Multan, a rally of lawyers and political activists is continuing apace. The protestors are planning to proceed to Lahore in smaller groups, whether by truck, bus, or train.

Owing to the government crackdown, only about 300 lawyers gathered at the Multan High Court. They were to be joined by PML-N activists, but the political rally was obstructed by police and seven activists were arrested. Eventually, though, the activists caught up with the lawyers.

Update at 13.20 PST: FROM ISLAMABAD

Another meeting has been scheduled at the Presidency for tonight. All PPP parliamentary members are expected to attend, to discuss the security situation and possible reconciliation efforts and resolutions to end the political deadlock. There are reports that Zardari and Nawaz Sharif will also discuss the Charter of Democracy.

Update at 12.15 PST: FROM QUETTA

SCBA President Ahmed Ali Kurd’s travel plans have once again been thwarted by government action. Kurd was planning on taking a flight to Lahore to meet up with other Long Marchers, who are scheduled to reach the city tonight, but authorities refused to allow him or his companions to board the plane.

Two days earlier, Kurd had been forced to return to Quetta, his starting point for the march, after the government blocked his motor convoy from entering Sindh.

After being forced to miss his flight, Kurd immediately came before the cameras to protest the government’s ‘dirty’ tactics and pledge to commitment to continue on the march. But now that Kurd’s efforts to join the marchers by both car and plane have failed, it will be interesting to see how he plans to make it there next.

0930 PST:

The government crackdown on opposition activists participating in the Long March continued overnight, reports said. The latest high-profile figure to be detained is SCBA Vice President Saeed Akhtar Khan Advocate, who has been put under house arrest in his arrest in Haripur.

But it seems that protestors are not the only ones suffering from the government’s clampdown. The PPP-led government, already hurting after the resignation of veteran leader Raza Rabbani, suffered another blow when Information Minister Sherry Rehman resigned late Friday night. The move by Rehman, a former journalist herself, was reportedly in protest to government efforts to impose curbs on the media and came only hours after Geo News television broadcasts were mysteriously halted in cities across the country.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Long March are sticking to their march route, despite overnight rumours that between the two main political parties was in the offing. At the moment opposition activists are gathering in the southern Punjab city of Multan. They plan to carry out protests in the city till the afternoon, when they will march onwards to Lahore, the biggest metropolis in the city and a bastion of PML-N support.