By DPA
Islamabad : Thousands of Pakistanis Saturday took to the streets to support suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry as he travelled in a long motor convoy from Islamabad to the industrial town of Faisalabad, about 225 km from here.
Chaudhry has held several similar rallies in recent months to gather public support against his removal by President Pervez Musharraf over allegations of misconduct on March 9.
Crowds showered rose petals at the procession of hundreds of motor vehicles as it made the first stop in Chakwal, turning the road almost red. Opposition activists chanted slogans "go, Musharraf go" and "restore our chief justice".
"Our struggle will continue until the justice is not completely restored in the country," Chaudhry's defence counsel and member of parliament Aitzaz Ahsan told thousands of lawyers, opposition supporters and rights activists.
"Our struggle has the full support of the masses," he said, claiming the public had rejected Musharraf's decision of suspending Chaudhry.
Thousands more were waiting for Chaudhry in Faisalabad, where 8,000 policemen were deployed. Opposition leaders there claimed authorities had detained dozens of their supporters in overnight raids.
Chaudhry's rallies pose the biggest challenge to Musharraf since he took power in a military coup in 1999.
But the president still enjoys the support of Pakistani military and US administration, which relies greatly on him in its war against terrorism in Afghanistan.