Hundreds of lawyers left the city in morning hours from Mazar-e-Quaid for Islamabad where according to a plan they will surround the Parliament House till the non-functional judges are reinstated.
Supporters of various political parties chanting anti-Musharraf and pro-Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry slogans also joined the procession led by the lawyers from Karachi and Sindh bars. They were holding posters of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, banners and placards demanding the freedom and de-politicisation of judiciary.
No violent incident took place before, during and after the convoys began the journey. On May 12, 2007, about 48 political activists, who had taken to the streets to welcome Justice Iftikhar, had lost their lives.
Unlike May 12, this time a huge contingent of fully equipped police personnel escorted the long-march participants. The long-march participants will stay in Sukkur for a night, where the protesting lawyers from Quetta and other parts of Balochistan and Sindh will join them.
The second sub-destination of the march will be Multan on June 10, (Tuesday), where Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry will receive and address the participants. He will rejoin and address them in Lahore on June 11, the next day.
Long-march participants will leave for Islamabad on June 12, Thursday from the Lahore High Court premises while other small processions from other cities of Punjab will regroup and finally join the main one somewhere on way to Federal Capital.
However, long-march participants coming from Muzzaffarabad, Abbottabad and Peshawar will continue movement towards the Parliament House through Rawalpindi High Court Bar, Rawalpindi District Bar, Murree Road and Aabpara.
The long-march has been started at a time when the fiscal budget is being presented in the National Assembly on June 11, while the main opponent of reinstatement of judges Pervez Musharraf is continuously losing his political support.
Ex-servicemen society of former military men has already endorsed the march and confirmed its complete participation with legal fraternity and civil society.
In the last press conference, members of the society severely criticised Pervez Musharraf for imposition of emergency rule and sacking of judges, operation silence against Lal Masjid and Jamia-Hafsa female students, north and south Waziristan, Wana and Swat military operations, and Bughti's extra-judicial killing through military operation.
All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) and PML-N are also supporting the lawyers' movement and will participate in the march. APDM had boycotted the February general elections on apprehensions that polls may not be held free, fair and transparent. They were demanding the independent judiciary for polls.
Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) were supporting the Musharraf's move of sacking judges and later strongly advocated actions against judges.