Tens of thousands of supporters lined the roads and showered rose petals on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Saturday as he travelled from Islamabad to Lahore via GT Road to address a reception of the Lahore High Court Bar Association.The chief justice, sitting in a vehicle driven by his lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, set out from Islamabad in a convoy of around 30 cars displaying black flags at around 7:45am, ignoring the governmentÂ’s advice that he travel by road. The convoy had swelled to over 200 cars and was several kilometres long by the time it reached Ravi Bridge at around 5:00am on Sunday morning, a journey that would normally take four hours taking almost 21 hours. Thousands of opposition supporters and lawyers stayed up all night in anticipation and still thronged the Lahore High Court building and areas surrounding it on The Mall as they waited for his address.
The convoy was repeatedly held up along the way by crowds of supporters in Rawalpindi, Mandar, Gujjar Khan, Jehlum, Kharian, Lala Musa, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Kamoke, Muridke and Kala Shah Kaku.
Lawyers and opposition activists welcomed the convoy at each place, thousands lining the streets and chanting anti-government slogans, playing drums and setting off fireworks. Jubilant supporters clutching their children struggled through a boisterous crowd in Gujranwala to see Justice Chaudhry as his car passed by. In Gujrat city, a white horse pranced in front of his car and fireworks exploded as his convoy edged through the crowds. Speaking to reporters outside the CJPÂ’s residence, Ahsan said that two government vehicles with electronic jamming equipment had been deputed to travel with the chief justiceÂ’s convoy to block mobile phone communication and television transmissions.
Islamabad police diverted traffic on Islamabad Highway to other routes and escorted the convoy of the CJP up to Karal Chowk, where security duties were transferred to Punjab police. As the CJPÂ’s convoy neared Sawan Bridge, a gas pipeline burst and caught fire. The CJPÂ’s supporters termed it an attempt by government agencies to scare people accompanying the chief justice. However, the government said it was an accident. An SNGPL team later extinguished the fire.