VEHARI, July 3: Lahore High Court (Multan bench) deposed judge Jahangir Arshad said on Thursday the history showed that nations and states could not survive under dictatorship.

Addressing the district bar association here, he said the government seemed least interested in making the judiciary an independent institution.

“Lawyers will have to reorganise their movement for a free, fair and independent judiciary. The restoration of judiciary without the reinstatement of (deposed) chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will be against the judicial norms”, he said.

Meanwhile, lawyers observed a strike and boycotted court proceedings in Vehari, Mailsi and Burewala. Vehari bar president Ghulam Abbas Baloch, secretary-general Afzal Shabab and others addressed the lawyers.

They said the lawyers’ movement would continue till the reinstatement of deposed judges, rule of law and independence of judiciary.