ISLAMABAD - Fully backing the lawyers schedule for long march and sit-in, leaders of almost all the major anti-government political parties on Wednesday vowed to struggle till the restoration of deposed judges and end of Governor Rule in Punjab. These leaders including Nawaz Sharif, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Imran Khan, former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attiq Ahmed Khan and Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan also warned that President Asif Zardari would be fully responsible for any consequences during the long march and indefinite sit-in at the Constitution Avenue on March 16. Addressing the National Conference for Restoration of Judiciary here at a local hotel, former Prime Minister and Chief of his faction of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif said National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was the basic obstacle in the completion of the national agenda which was also compelling President Zardari to pursue the policies of former dictator Pervez Musharraf. Nawaz Sharif also warned Zardari that the President would have to pay the consequences if he continued to stay away from fulfilling his promises about the restoration of deposed judges. "The people of Pakistan want to see the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry restored with dignity but the President is bent upon protecting those judges who had pledged allegiance to Musharraf after November 3, 2007", PML-N chief further added. "PML-N has proved the majority of 209 Members in the Punjab Assembly the other day which is a massive humiliation for Asif Ali Zardari who now sees a clear defeat in Punjab due to his poor decision", Nawaz said. The elder Sharif asked the whole nation in general and the youth in particular to stand up and join hands with lawyers in long march and stage a sit-in till the achievement of its ultimate goal. Nawaz Sharif also regretted that Pakistan and its masses were exploited by selfish and corrupt politicians, unfair judges and lawbreaking generals for the last sixty years. However, Nawaz hoped that the nation would now shut the doors on these elements for ever by waging the peaceful but strong struggle till its logical end of saving Quaid's Pakistan. "I do not need Premiership, I do not need Presidentship, I need strong and democratic Pakistan", Nawaz made it clear. He repeated the allegation that Zardari had been trying to blackmail him and Shahbaz Sharif on issue of qualification to extract an extension for the present Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. He also alleged that Justice Dogar also contacted him and asked that qualification case will be decided in favour of PML-N top guns if the stayed away from controversy regarding award of additional marks to Farah Dogar. However, Sharif said neither he compromised the demand for independent judiciary in the past nor would he do so now as the same was the basic need of every Pakistani. Defending his Party's decision to take part in February 18 polls last year, Nawaz said the major purpose of PML-N's participation in general elections was to stop PPP from indemnifying and clearing the former dictator Musharraf from all his sins including murders besides subversion of constitution. PML-N Chief also called upon President Asif Zardari to fulfil the commitments by his slain wife for the restoration of judges adding that the sit-in would continue until they were restored. Regretting the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, Nawaz Sharif said the incident was highly condemnable but the same had occurred due to needless reshuffle in the Punjab administration by the Governor Punjab. Speaking on the occasion, Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Qazi Hussain Ahmed said a fair and just society was based on justice and the nation should render every sacrifice for achieving the same by taking part in the long march and sit-in which had now become a national movement. "The only fault of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is taking suo motu action against NRO and raising his voice in support of missing persons", Qazi pointed out. JI chief also announced that the indefinite sit-in on March 16 would continue till the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other deposed judges. He also accused President Zardari of using the government institution for promoting his personal agenda but warned that the fate of present head of state would not be different from that of former dictator Musharraf. Qazi asked the workers of political parties to march hand in hand with lawyers if the Zardari regime took leaders of political parties and lawyers community in custody ahead of long march. Speaking to the participants of National Conference, Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan said the demand for restoration of independent judiciary led by Justice Iftikhar was not restricted to lawyers' community but had now become the movement of every Pakistani. Imran said the incumbent PCO judges were a serious threat to democracy in Pakistan and not the peaceful movement for restoration of independent judges. "If the Zardari regime would try to restrict people from participating in the long march and sit-in, the entire responsibility of any consequences would rest on the Presidency", Imran made it clear. Former AJK Prime Minister and leader of Muslim Conference, Sardar Attiq Ahmed Khan said mandate of people of Punjab was seriously violated on February 25. Former President Supreme Court Bar Association and lawyers' leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said that the movement for restoration of independent judiciary was based on non-violence, adding that the long march and sit-in would stay peaceful. Towards the end, participants of the National Conference also unanimously adopted a resolution calling upon the government to immediately restore all the deposed judges including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, lift the Governor Rule in Punjab and undo the unconstitutional steps taken by the former President Pervez Musharraf on November 3. The resolution further said all the political parties particularly two mainstream parties including PML-N and PPP before February 18 general elections pledged to restore the independent judiciary. Assassinated PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto promised to reinstate particularly deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the resolution reminded. Both the major parties also thrice signed written accords promising to restore the deposed judges but President Asif Ali Zardari did not deliver on his promises. Presently when the government had failed to restore judiciary despite its pledges, people and legal fraternity were left with no other option except to resort to long march and sit-in, it maintained. The conference through this resolution also called upon the masses to ensure their forceful participation in long march and sit-in to make them successful. The participants of the moot also raised slogans against the government for not fulfilling the promises regarding restoration of deposed judges, and in support of long march and sit-in.