LAHORE, June 7: Thousands of lawyers, political workers and civil society activists thronged The Mall for the fourth consecutive week on Thursday to protest presidential reference against Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Holding placards and banners inscribed with their demands and anti-Musharraf slogans, a large number of lawyers attended the protest rally, boycotting court proceedings at Aiwan-i-Adl and then took to The Mall at 11am where they were joined by workers of PPP, PML-N, MMA, Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Labour Party, Khaksar Tehrik, and activists of NGOs like Women’s Action Forum, as well as members of various teachers’ and students’ unions.

At GPO Chowk, they were also joined by High Court Bar members. The protesters then marched up to the Charing Cross under the sizzling sun where leaders of Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore Bar Association and political parties addressed them.

The large-scale arrests of opposition parties’ leaders and workers seemed to have on effect on the number of protesters.

Prominent among the speakers were Ahsan Bhoon, Muhammad Shah, Liaqat Baloch, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Farzana Raja and Mian Marghoob.

The speakers vowed to continue their movement until it reached its `logical end’. They saw the curbs imposed on the media as a sign of confusion among the rulers and success of the ongoing movement for independence of judiciary.

They also showed solidarity with journalists protesting against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (amendment) Ordinance 2007.

Lawyers, activists and members of the public were seen adopting novel modes of protest, while some politicians were using the occasion for self-promotion.

A senior lawyer was seen dragging a copy of Pemra Ordinance on the road during the rally, where burning of an effigy of Gen Musharraf has become a permanent activity.

Khaksar Tehrik used to bring out a funeral of the army government at the weekly protest which was missing this time.

Lahore PPP leader Samiullah Khan had got his photograph printed in the middle of the party flags being waved by some party activists. Some others were carrying flags with names of Haji Azizur Rahman Chan and Zafar Masood Bhatti printed thereon.

Earlier, a general body meeting of the LHCBA unanimously adopted a resolution tabled by its president Ahsan Bhoon. The resolution termed Pemra Ordinance unconstitutional and undemocratic, saying the lawyers rejected the `black law’.

Arrests of political activists were also condemned through the resolution and lawyers vowed to continue their movement till elimination of dictatorship from the country.

SCBA: The Supreme Court Bar Association has condemned the promulgation of Pemra (Amendment) Ordinance and decided to challenge it in the apex court.

SCBA Vice-President Sahibzada Anwar Hamid said in a statement that the restrictions imposed on the electronic media through the amendments to Pemra Ordinance were mala fide and were in conflict with Article 19 of the Constitution which guaranteed freedom of press and expression.

The SCBA had constituted a team of lawyers headed by Sahibzada to file a petition against the ordinance under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution in the Supreme Court.