FAISALABAD - Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, was accorded warm welcome on his arrival in Faisalabad late on Saturday night to address the first convention of lawyers community. The City received heavy rain as the CJP arrived there. He was given official protocol by Punjab government as soon as his procession entered into the province. Justice Iftikhar was given a very warm see-off when he and his caravan left Islamabad for Faisalabad to address the Bar Council there. Hundreds of civil society activists, political parties workers and lawyers gathered outside residence at Judges Colony, Islamabad. People in a large number gathered in the high-security zone despite it being a prohibited area for general public. Police force in a considerable number was present but preferred to stand aloof as silent onlookers. When Justice Iftikhar got into his car, people raised enthusiastic slogans in his favour and against President Musharraf. His car was being driven by Islamabad Bar President Haroon Rashid. As the deposed Chief Justice left for Faisalabad a number of cars joined his procession. Jama'at-i-Islami, Tehrik-e-Insaaf and PML-N activists were also seen with their party flags, while no PPP leader, worker or flag was in sight. Justice Iftikhar was given official protocol by Punjab government as his caravan arrived at Toll Plaza near Golra More. It was also reported that thousands of people showered rose petals on the deposed Chief Justice at the time of his departure as well as on his way to Faisalabad. Agencies add: SCBA President Aitzaz Ahsan has said that setting the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan up to three years in the proposed constitutional package is tantamount to minus-one formula that is unacceptable to legal fraternity in any way. Talking to journalists at Kallar Kahar, he said all the points in the package are mere proposals and he had expressed his opinion in the party in this context. He said, "If demands of legal community are not met, they will certainly carry out long march. We are on the road to save the country. Come and join us." Meanwhile, prominent lawyers leader Ali Ahmed Kurd said the legal fraternity did not want confrontation with the government and they want improvement in the situation. Talking to journalists at the residence of deposed CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry before leaving for Faisalabad, he said, "The legal community wants reinstatement of judges at their ranks. The lawyers are sensible segment of the society and they neither want confrontation or nor chaos in the country." To a query, he said the lawyers decided the date of June 10 for long march after considering all the aspects and they had also designed their future strategy in this respect. Lawyers stepped up their campaign Saturday for the return of judges purged by President Pervez Musharraf, adding to the pressure on the country's new government. Hundreds of vehicles packed with black-suited lawyers escorted Justice Iftikhar from his home in Islamabad toward a convention in Faisalabad. The convention is a prelude to street protests of the kind which undermined Musharraf last year and could now buffet a civilian government already struggling to confront serious economic problems and virulent militancy. Hundreds of PML-N activists joined lawyers outside Chaudhry's villa as they resumed their agitation. Anjum Aqeel Khan, a PML-N lawmaker, said the issue was a test for both of the main parties. The return of the judges is "the demand of the people, the lawyers and civil society and the government is bound to bow to it," Khan said as he walked toward his car for the seven-hour drive to the convention in Faisalabad. "People can see for themselves who is aware of their obligations."