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Pakistan lawyers' movement launches new phase of struggle with a sit-in

By Nasir Mansoor
Slogan-chanting lawyers and flag-waving activists blocked roads in Karachi [AFP]Karachi, August 28: On the call of lawyers' movement, a two-hour long Dharna [sit-in] was held at M A Jinnah Road, Karachi. It was the first protest soon after the forced exit of General Pervez Musharraf and also the fourth betrayal of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari on the issue of restoration of the Chief Justice and other judges dismissed by Musharraf.

The day was started with general body meeting of lawyers at the Karachi Bar Association office at 11am and then they took out a procession from the Karachi court and held the Dharna at Bandar, M A Jinnah Road.
The Dharna was very responsive and vibrant and was held in a city which had been besieged by fear of an ethic group equipped with sophisticated arms and the backing of powerful establishment of Pakistan. Hundreds of lawyers, more in numbers than in previous protests, with a good numbers of activist of political and civil society thrill the air with slogans in support of restoration of judiciary on November 2 position.
The Dharna was led by Justice(Retired) Rasheed A Rizvi, the president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association; Mehmoodul Hassan, president Karachi Bar Association; Munir A Malik and other leaders of lawyer's movement.
Activists from the Labour Party Pakistan, Tehreek Insaf, JI, Pk Milli Awami Party, Socialist International, NWP, Sunni Tehreek, ML (N), Peoples Resistance and trade union organizations also took part in the Dharna.
The mood of participants in Dharna indicated that the movement will gain momentum in the coming days. A new phase of the struggle has started.
Ek oor darya ka samna tha Munir mujh ko,
Main jo ek darya ke par utra tu main na thekha - Munir Niazi
Long live struggle for the independence of judiciary!
Nasir Mansoor is Secretary Labour Affairs, Labour Party Pakistan

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