** This post was originally published on FASTRising Official blog on March, 19th, 2009. **

The short version, by our in-house wit: An idea whose time has come cannot be contained – nor container-ed.
The spiel:
While the nation celebrates and the most pessimistic activists are in wait-and-see mode till the 22nd of March, it behooves us to do a tally.
Some positives:

At the national level, a large number of people have finally seen a practical demonstration of the effectiveness of popular power in a democratic setup – however young and weak our …

A personal account of Youm-e-Fatah : 16th March 2009.

Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry reached Lahore on Saturday noon to administer the oath of newly elected members of Lahore district bar and address a convention of lawyers. His flight landed around 12 in the noon at Lahore airport where president Supreme Court Bar Ali Ahmad Kurd, Chaudhry Atizaz Ahsan, deposed judge Khalil Ramday and large number of lawyers, civil society activists, students and workers of PML-N, Jamaat-i-Islami, Tahreek-i-Insaaf and other political parties received him.

Earlier, large number of lawyers and civil society representatives see off him at Islamabad …

Following is an email from Aitzaz Ahsan, leader of the Lawyer’s movement where he clarifies his position, his relation with the movement and his reasoning.

Aitzaz Ahsan : right or wrong ?

My dear Samad,
I opened your mail yesterday and was deeply pained by it and by its tenor.
Of late there is a veritable campaign being fostered on the net and many mails are targeting the leadership of the Lawyers Movement. There is no doubt that most of the criticism is pointed at me but the beauty of …

Advocate Faisal Siddiqi discusses the achievements and challenges of the Lawyer’s movement in this interesting article. He divides the movement into four phases: First [March 9th, 2007 - July 20th, 2007],
Second [July 21st, 2007 - November 2nd, 2007], Third [November 3rd, 2007 - February 17th, 2008] and
Fourth  [February 18th, 2008 - August 27th, 2008] and narrates the historic achievements and the challenges that the movement faces.

Photos:

I could not take better pictures for not getting any chance to have good enough space and for the reason that the cops were not allowing to move to a better place for shooting pictures.
View album here.
Videos:
Just gained an energy boost after having heavy meals and red bull. I present the exclusive videos of the CJP’s reception at Lahore. A historic event indeed. Please bear with the poor video quality and the moving frames – this was the best possible in such circumstances. I wish I had a HD camera.

Before …

Photos:

I could not take better pictures for not getting any chance to have good enough space and for the reason that the cops were not allowing to move to a better place for shooting pictures.
View album here.
Videos:
Just gained an energy boost after having heavy meals and red bull. I present the exclusive videos of the CJP’s reception at Lahore. A historic event indeed. Please bear with the poor video quality and the moving frames – this was the best possible in such circumstances. I wish I had a HD camera.

Before …

I just returned from the rally which started from the Lahore airport. We received the CJP around 5:45 PM and I remained in the rally that followed his car till 8:30 PM. When I left, the rally had hardly traveled 1 KM from the airport exit. Lahore is completely choked, it took me around two and a half hours to get back home when normally it takes just half an hour. The path I followed was completely opposite to the route of the rally and had nothing to do with …

IJT a.k.a Jamiat, the student wing of JI, attacked the pro-Judiciary camp setup by SAC and FASTRising at Nasir bagh, Lahore for the promotion of the Long march. Detailed report available here.
The organizers of the camp were harassed, beaten up and forced to move away. The attackers torn off the posters and flex banenrs at the camp pressurizing those at the camp to leave immediately. Ahmed Saleemi, one of the SAC members was beaten up while I was forced to move away when I tried to reach the camp.

The camp …

For those who want to join the students on the long March, here is the schedule which FASTRising and SAC will follow. The schedule is provisional, however.
12th June 9 – 11 AM :
- Check-in in front of Aitzaz’s House.
- Please eat a heavy breakfast as we have a long day ahead of us.
12th June 11 AM :
- Buses leave for High Court to join lawyers.
- CJ’s address at the High Court.
12th June 12 PM (estimate)
- Leave for Islamabad via GT Road
- SAC bus will follow CCP delegation.
12th June …

Lawyer’s Coordination Committee and Lahore Bar Association announced the schedule of the long march for the restoration of Judiciary.
June 5 : Joint rally from Aiwan-e-Adal, Lahore to Faisal Chowk
June 6: Joint protest rally by doctors, professionals, teachers/professors, students, civil society, lawyers, scholars and the political parties to start at Data Darbar after the Jumma prayers and head to Nasir Bagh, Lahore.
June 7: Caravan for Restoration of Judiciary, consisting of 40 cars will tour around the Lahore city for mobilization and awareness.
June 8: Protest for restoration of Judiciary by the civil …

WHAT Promotional pro-judiciary camp
WHERE Press Club
WHEN May 31 – All-day event – 9 to 6 PM.
Activities on-site:
1. Stickering the numerous public transport (and any willing private) vehicles that pass by
2. Distributing flyers to commuters
3. Making a real noise with creative slogans
4. Mushaira / qawwaali
5. Registering people for the Long March
6. Planning future activities
The call is from YPL, IPSS & FASTRising.

Iftikhar Chaudhry took oath on PCO in 2002 and now rejected the PCO in 2007?
The PCO which Musharraf presented in 2002 was not declared null and void by the Supreme Court of that time. The PCO of 2007 declared martial law in the country and abrogated the constitution. It was anti-constitutional, anti-state and clearly against the rights and wishes of the people of Pakistan. Furthermore, the PCO of 2002 and the oath of office order were given indemnity by a two-thirds majority in both houses – the 17th constitutional …

All the channels and newspapers in the country have received a notice from the authorities saying they should not show the snapshot or news of any deposed judge before prior permission. Any talk shows or discussions on the Judicial crisis or the deposed judges have been banned.
The empire strikes back again on media attacking with full force trying to let the nation remain in darkness about the Judicial crisis. The notice was issues soon after the final talks between Zardari and Sharif failed in London over the restoration of judiciary …

GEO TV’s program shows a parody of the Coca Cola’s new commercial BRRRRR ! Checkout.