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Massive stream of protesters in Islamabad

— PHOTO: AFP

GATHERING STORM: Lawyers and activists of political parties participating in the “long march” in Rawalpindi on Friday.

ISLAMABAD: The “long march” for the reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf was set to culminate in a massive rally near Parliament in the capital later on Friday.

Lawyers, political party workers and other protesters were streaming into the capital and converging at a site near Parliament, overlooking the presidential Aiwan-e-Sadr. The government did not make any attempt to stop the rallyists.

Instead, it managed to neutralise a potential confrontation by facilitating the rally and by providing water, toilets, dispensaries and other amenities. There was high security at the site. Hundreds of policemen were on duty and metal detectors were installed on the premises.

The stage, made of containers strung across the road, was also provided by the government. It was to double up as a barrier that the leaders of the “long march” agreed not to breach.

Aside from the presidency and Parliament, the prohibited “red zone” for the rallyists included the Supreme Court, Prime Minister’s House, several government offices and the Diplomatic Enclave.

Aside from lawyers and civil society workers, workers of the Pakistan Muslim league (N) participated in the march, which began at Multan and went to Lahore before proceeding towards the capital. Activists of the Jamat-i-Islami and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf also took part.

The rallyists, who set off from Lahore on Thursday, made slow progress on the Grand Trunk Road, with roadside receptions at every step.

Deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary did not take part in the rally, but he spoke to the lawyers before they left Lahore; he was due to join the marchers outside the capital.

He told the lawyers in Lahore they had started a “revolution” with their movement for the restoration of the judiciary. PML(N) chief Nawaz Sharif made a fiery speech to the rallyists in Lahore, lashing out at the retired General Musharraf, at the judges he appointed to the Supreme Court, at the military for “trampling” on the Pakistani people “every 10 years” and the U.S. for not respecting Pakistan’s sovereignty.

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