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Pakistan lawyers face government opposition on second 'long march'

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Members of the Pakistan lawyers' movement and opposition politicians and supporters began a "long march" from Karachi to Islamabad Thursday against the government of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The protesters, led by Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), faced continued raids and arrests from government forces, which began Wednesday when police units moved against opposition leaders and supporters ahead of the march and a rally organized by the PML-N and other opposition parties against the Zardari government. Members of the lawyers' movement were harassed by the Pakistani police, including movement leader Muneer Malik, who, according to JURIST's Pakistan correspondent, was arrested and later released on Thursday. Pakistan news organization Dawn has been covering the march and government actions, including the ongoing detentions of opposition figures and supporters as well as the progress of the march towards Islamabad. Some protesters have been prevented from leaving Karachi by government forces, who have used force to break up the march and stop the political protest. Lawyers' movement leader Aitzaz Ahsan told Dawn that the movement and the march would only be inspired to greater opposition by the government response. The current long march is similar to last year's demonstrations against the regime of former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf. The march comes as Pakistan teeters on the edge of political instability following last month's Supreme Court of Pakistan ruling that barred Sharif from holding elected office based on a past criminal conviction. The Supreme Court's controversial decision followed continued turmoil over the country's judiciary, which has split the PML-N and Zardari's PPP, formerly coalition partners. Sharif and the PML-N have urged the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, ousted after then-president Musharraf declared emergency rule in November 2007. Chaudhry, supported by many members of Pakistan's bar, insists he is still chief justice under the Pakistani constitution.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 12, 2009 (boomark / email).