By IANS
Lahore : Pakistan’s suspended chief judge Sunday urged people to strive for “democracy and uphold human rights” here as slogans against President Pervez Musharraf and the government greeted him at a lawyers’ rally.
Continuing his campaign across the country while awaiting the Supreme Court’s verdict on his petitions scheduled next week, Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry said: “The time has come when you should strive for the rule of law.”
Chaudhry has challenged his March 9 suspension on charge of misusing his office to get a favoured posting for his son. The action by President Pervez Musharraf has triggered a nationwide furore. A full bench of the apex court has asked both parties to wind up the arguments and await a verdict Friday.
The suspended chief justice told the lawyers that it was imperative to protect the constitution to ensure that human rights were not violated.
“The constitution guarantees the protection of basic rights of every citizen,” he said in a speech delivered very early Sunday, after taking 12 hours to traverse a 25-km route from the airport to the venue.
About 2,000 lawyers greeted him with “Go Musharraf Go!” and “No to dictatorship!” slogans.
The huge reception Choudhry got when he reached here indicates his popularity, his supporters said.
Lahore witnessed scenes of tumultuous welcome at the end of a week that saw the nation battling conflicting sentiments in the wake of the Lal Masjid military assault in Islamabad.
The Daily Times reported that political parties cutting across ideological lines joined to welcome Chaudhry’s motorcade from the Allama Iqbal International Airport when he arrived from Islamabad.
Flag-waving, slogan-shouting leaders and cadres represented the Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing Islami Jamiat Talaba and various lawyers’ and civil society groups.
They had set up camps along the Lahore Mall, in the heart of the city, to receive Chaudhry before the main venue – the district court complex – where the Lahore District Bar Association had arranged a reception for him.
The Lahore Bar Association had arranged 10,000 seats for the participants at the court’s parking area. Lawyers from various districts in the province thronged the venue. Punjab is ruled by the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim league (Qaid).