Lawyers in Pakistan are due to converge on the capital, Islamabad, to demand the reinstatement of judges sacked by President Musharraf last November.

They left the eastern city of Lahore in a convoy of vehicles on Thursday on the last leg of a Shoaib loses Pakistan ban appeal ...
Hanging of Indian 'spy' deferred ... nationwide protest.

The lawyers are angry that Pakistan's new coalition government has yet to give the judges their jobs back.

This despite promises to do so by both coalition partners after they defeated Mr Musharraf's supporters in elections.

The government parties are divided on how to reinstate the judges.

Correspondents say that the motorised convoy - which has been dubbed the "long march" - is passing through different towns during its 270km (170-mile) journey from Lahore to Islamabad

The protesting lawyers and their supporters are expected to arrive in Islamabad around 0200 local time. They plan a peaceful sit-in outside parliament.

'Decisive phase'

Security so far has been tight for the protest, with a heavy police presence outside key facilities in Islamabad along with razor wire and CCTV cameras.

On Thursday, the deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, addressed the lawyers and their supporters before they departed.

Former PM Nawaz Sharif also addressed the crowd and thanked them for defending judicial independence.

Organisers said the struggle of the lawyers had now reached a "decisive phase". The lawyers have been joined by some civil society activists and supporters of political parties.

Lawyers have spearheaded a campaign over the past year to remove President Musharraf for dismissing Mr Chaudhry last year.

He and several other judges were removed from their jobs when the president declared emergency rule in November.

President Musharraf said in a recent press conference that he would not resign and the judges should not be restored.

The protests are expected to present the first real challenge for Pakistan's fragile coalition government.

(BBC)

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