'Corrupt people' will not restore judiciary

LAHORE - Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan has said the government is trying hard to create differences among opposition parties to restrict them from supporting lawyers' Long March and sit-in protest. But it will never happen because all sections of society are supporting lawyers. He said the day of March 16 (sit-in to be held) would help bring real democracy in Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam had dreamt of. He expressed these views while addressing lawyers at Lahore Bar Association before their weekly rally on Thursday. The PTI Chairman criticised Zardari's regime saying "corrupt people" would not restore the judiciary at any cost because they feel threats from it. He said without establishment of free judiciary the future of our country would remain dormant. Imran said the government was using different tactics to stop the political parties' participation in the long march. With change of faces, policies of Musharaf regime were still going on, he added. It is for the first time in Pakistan's history that a large number of judges had refused to follow dictator's dictum that initiated then a relentless struggle for an independence of judiciary and establishment of rule of law in the country. Khan said that he did not partake in election because it was being held under a dictatorial regime. He said Asif Zardari should remember and fulfill the promise of his party's head Benazir Bhutto regarding the restoration of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges. But the PPP top brass had forgotten the pledge of Benazir after winning election. He said rulers only wanted hand-picked judges. He said the lawyers should learn from their past mistakes and invite all the social and political parties to join them in long march and sit-in on March 16. He said the lawyers should identify black sheep in their ranks because government might use them to sabotage peaceful demonstration. He pointed out that the lawyers should coordinate with all other parties to make sit-in a success. The lawyers should also chalk out a future plan in case the deposed CJP is not restored as a result of Long March. He said that the dream of providing 'Roti Kapra and Makaan' to all can never come true without independence of judiciary.

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