By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani lawyers Monday started a four-day protest march against what they called the government’s failure to reinstate judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last year.
The demonstration, dubbed the “long march”, started from the southern port city of Karachi and will drive across Sindh and Punjab provinces to reach the federal capital here June 12.
Aitizaz Ahsan, president of Supreme Court Bar Association, said Sunday that the procession, which would wind up in front of parliament house, was to create public awareness of need to reinstate independent judges.
Ahsan told a press conference that the procession would be “completely peaceful”.
“The lawyers will not be provoked and they will not storm any buildings or damage any property,” Ahsan said.
Members of civil society and workers of political parties from various cities will also participate in the procession.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said earlier that it would join the march.
Musharraf sacked the chief justice of Pakistan and 60 other top judges when he imposed emergency rule last November.