MULTAN, Dec 23: Supremacy of law and restoration of the constitution are prerequisites to rid the country of all social, political and economic problems, deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday.

Speaking to lawyers here, Mr Chaudhry praised the media, civil society and all other forces, which took part in the lawyers’ movement for a free and independent judiciary. He said lawyers were close to victory and stressed for united struggle at this stage.

He said he was awarded medals in other countries for working for the supremacy of law. He said Pakistanis were working for the supremacy of law and this was the evidence that neither they were terrorists nor they supported violence. He said the lawyers’ movement was bound to succeed.

Speaking on the occasion, former Supreme Court Bar Association president Hamid Khan said Justice Agha Rafique was made Sindh High Court judge in 1995 by ignoring 35 senior judges. He said Justice Rafique was serving as a judge under the Provisional Constitution Order for the last two years. He said President Asif Ali Zardari was trying to promote Justice Rafique because of his personal relations with him. He said Justice Rafique was behind the fall of the last Pakistan People’s Party government and now again his planned appointment as Supreme Court chief justice had become controversial.

SCBA President Ali Ahmad Kurd said the protests would continue till the acceptance of lawyers’ demands. He said the army should end all operations and the government should restore all judges.

Addressing a press conference earlier, Kurd said parliament could summon anyone, including the chief justice, involved in unlawful activities.

He said Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar had no other option except to resign and that (deposed) Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry would be reinstated before lawyers’ long march scheduled for March 9, 2009.

He warned if the government did not reinstate Justice Chaudhry, lawyers would stage a sit-in on Constitution Avenue.

He said no political party could intervene in the matters of lawyers’ movement and all political parties had supported the movement for an independent judiciary.