By IRNA
Islamabad : Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday joined around 1000 lawyers, who rallied for the restoration of deposed hief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary in Islamabad.
Riot police stopped the lawyers from heading to the residence of the former chief justice, where he has been under house arrest since November 3rd.
“Time will come soon when we will bring back the deposed chief justice and other judges to the courts, ” Nawaz Sharif announced amidst anti-Musharraf slogans.
The lawyers were chanting slogans against President Musharraf and in favour of the deposed judges.
They were holding portraits of the deposed chief justice and posters inscribed with demands for the restoration of the judges.
The police erected barbed wire and cemented blocks to stop lawyers’ march.
“Mr Musharraf is illegal and unconstitutional,” Nawaz Sharif said.
He condemned detention of the chief justice and other judges and described their house arrest as a joke with the country.
Sharif congratulated the lawyers for their struggle for the supremacy of rule of law and also greeted them on election victory of anti-Musharraf parties.
The police also sought support of paramilitary forces to stop the lawyers from approaching the residence of deposed chief justice.
Lawyers boycotted courts across Pakistan on Thursday and staged rallies to push for their demand of restoration of the chief justice and other judges.
They also demanded the release of their representatives.
Police fired tear gas and beat protesting lawyers in Karachi as they took out procession. Several lawyers were injured and nine arrested.
Deposed chief justice also spoke by phone to lawyers in Karachi and urged them to keep on their protest for the supremacy of the constitution.