Ahsan warns protest for restoration of Judiciary

Islamabad, Dec 21 (UNI) Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Aitzaz Ahsan vowed to press ahead with his campaign and bring all the deposed judges on the streets at the start of February, if the new parliament fails to restore the judiciary to its pre-November 3 status.

The Pakistan People's Party leader, who was temporarily released from detention yesterday, visited the residences of judges of the superior courts, who did not take oath under the PCO.

He said the lawyers would launch a massive movement to force the Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani to undo all the ''wrongdoings'' of his predecessor.

Mr Ahsan said he was planning to file a damages suit of Rs 2 billion against President Pervez Musharraf and the amount would be recovered after selling his national and internationals assets.

The political scenario of the country would change entirely after January 8 and the two big political parties, which were contesting polls as protest, would stand shoulder to shoulder with lawyers for the restoration of judges, The News quoted him as saying.

''Earlier, we had one Chief Justice and one driver but now we have 45 judges and thousands of drivers,'' he said, adding the lawyers' movement would eliminate the dictatorship once for all.

Mr Ahsan rose to prominence this year when he acted as chief counsel for Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Choudhry, whom Musharraf tried to sack in March.

He was detained under emergency powers that President Musharraf invoked on November 3.

UNI