Lawyers want Dogar to resign.

LAWYERS on Thursday held their weekly protest rally with the participation of a large number of political workers and civil society demanding restoration Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and all deposed judges.

In the provincial capital, two protest rallies of lawyers, one by Lahore High Court Bar Association and second by Lahore Bar Association.were taken out.

Lawyers of LHCBA and LBA after holding their general house meetings at their respective barrooms took out rallies from High Court and Aiwan-e-Adal.

Both rallies merged at GPO Chowk and with participation of political and civil society activists held a joint march towards Chairing Cross while chanting slogans against government and in favour of sacked chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The protesters also chanted slogans against Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar accusing him of favouring his daughter in securing extra marks in F.Sc ëillegallyí.

Prominent among protesters was former judge of Lahore High Court Justice (r) MA Shahid Siddiqi, who was also sacked under Nov-03 PCO, who marched with lawyers from Aiwan-e-Adal to Chairing Cross Chowk.

Among others were activists of PML-N, Jamat-e-Islami, Pakhtoon Khawa Milli Awami Party, Tehrik-e-Insaf, Tehrik-e-Khaksar, Awami Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan, Pakistan Medical Association and Pakistan Teachersí Federation.

The rally was showered with flowers when it reached beneath the overhead crossing near Panorama Shopping Mall.

Activists of political parties were chanting slogans in favour of their respective leadership and their parties.

At the Chairing Cross lawyersí leaders delivered speeches and pledged to continue their movement till the restoration of the chief justice and all other sacked judges.

LHCBA and LBA leaders announced Justice Siddiqi as their joint candidate for presidential slot of the LHCBAís election.

Justice Siddiqi addressing the lawyers said that the government was not paying heed towards the demands of the people who wanted to see the all sacked judges back to their offices.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari should not make mockery of the demands of the people and he should keep in mind that like Musharraf he could not resist the lawyers. Earlier addressing the general house meeting of LHCBA Raja Zulqarnain advocate said the lawyers welcomed the statement of PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif over initiation of a movement to remove Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in case he did not step down in a week.

However, he said, nobody should expect lawyers to follow the line of any particular political because their movement was only for independence of judiciary and the rule of law.

Former LHCBA president Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari said the lawyersí movement was close to achieving itsí objectives. He said it was a matter of indignity for Justice Dogar that the National Assemblyís Standing Committee on Education had sought his resignation.

He said the Lahore High Court Bar Association should have passed a resolution, demanding Justice Dogarís resignation. He said the lawyersí movement was not based on violence and would continue till it logical end.

LHCBA President Anwar Kamal said several lawyers asked him as to why the lawyersí representative did not attend All Parties Conference. He said former Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan had made it clear that the government should have invited Ali Ahmad Kurd instead of him.

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