THE break-up of the coalition might have had a negative effect on a number of things but its impact on the lawyers' movement appears to be peripheral. SCBA President Ch Aitzaz Ahsan exuded confidence when he warned that the legal fraternity would observe a strike on August 28, arranging sit-ins across the country laying siege to Parliament in a peaceful manner later on. Particularly referring to the strike tomorrow, he said that it would paralyse the country's business for two hours and should therefore be a sign enough for the government to mend its policy regarding the deposed judiciary. There should be little doubt that the movement for the independence of the judiciary, despite some of the dissensions within the activists' ranks, still carries huge potential. Now with the PML(N) no more on board, the ball is in the PPP's court. But considering its stance on the issue, there is not much hope for the judiciary getting back to its November 2 position. It is hard to deny that the party considers deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry a fly in the ointment. Co-Chairman Asif Zardari had on many occasions aired his views about him and had referred to him as controversial. Mr Aitzaz, never partial to this flawed philosophy, is right in his defence of the Chief Justice's role as non-partisan. Likewise, he strikes a chord when he says that late Chairperson Benazir Bhutto had made it clear that Iftikhar would be reinstated. It is pointless to think that the judicial crisis would simmer down with the passage of time. On the contrary, it would bounce back with renewed energy as this time around the black coats may not be taking to the streets alone; they might be having the PML(N) by their side. Add to this the APDM factor. Its calls for countrywide agitation may no go unheard this time. The government must realise that it was precisely this stalemate that led to the demise of the coalition. The backdrop to this emerging landscape is not all a pleasant sight: the situation in tribal areas; the scourge of militancy; the enervating energy crisis and the ballooning inflationary spiral spanning the length and breadth of the country. In the meanwhile the PPP's prescription might only be festering the wound rather than healing it. Consider its recent plan revealed by Attorney General Latif Khosa to reinstate 10 judges, eight of them belonging to the Sindh High Court, through a fresh oath, something that has been categorically rejected by the legal community. Thus we are back to Square One. It nonetheless remains to be seen how the legal community would set the trajectory for the nation's future.