Long March Breakthrough: Restoration of the Chief Justice?

The government appears poised to reinistate the Chief Justice and cede to the demand of the Long March. PM Raza Gilani will be addressing the country shortly followed by Nawaz Sharif.  It’s day 5 (Pakistan time) of the protests which began on Mar 12th.

via The News:

ISLAMABAD: In a golden moment in Pakistan’s history, the government has decided to restore the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The news was announced by PML-N leader, Javed Hashmi who was arrested briefly today. via Dawn Blog:

3.05 PST: Islamabad-Senior PML-N leader Javed Hashmi, who was arrested earlier in the day, has arrived at Iftikhar Chaudhry’s house. Speaking to the media, he said that he hopes that the PM’s announcement will fulfill the expectations of the nation.

PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal call’s it a “people’s revolution,” while speaking with journalist Talat Hussain. Nawaz Sharif had earlier called the protests a “prelude to a revolution.” The state channel PTV is apparently not airing the current developments. Via Twitter:

HumaImtiaz: ptv is airing a show on the soap industry. like seriously. #longmarch

FOLLOW IT:

You can watch it all happen live here:

• http://www.samaa.tv/samaatvlive.html
• http://www.dawntv.org/ [English]
• http://www.rizwanashraf.com/2007/11/14/watch-geo-tv-online/
• Or watch Aaj TV via Live Station or Jump TV.

OF NOTE: The Police Refuses

Scenes at the High Court in Islamabad via Emergency List earlier today.  There have been further reports of policemen joining the struggle and refusing to restrict activists:

The Atmosphere there is ecstatic.. All the governments plans have gone in disarray..The police has stopped pelting people, they have stopped the tear-gas. Instead HIGH RANKING Police Officials (of SSP rank and above) are coming inside the High Court and making speeches!!! They are apologizing to the lawyers and civil society activists. They are saying that all that is happening is wrong and from now on they wont hurt them!!! Police officials are, in fact, talking and adjusting with the people inside high court!!!!

Police did fire tear gas on protesters in Lahore, but the NY Times corroborates the general reluctance of security forces to take on the protesters:

In what analysts here called an unprecedented reversal by security forces, phalanxes of riot policemen here in Lahore melted away rather than continue to confront protesters who had rallied around the opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, when he defied a house arrest order early Sunday.

Lahore’s Chief Magistrate refused to comply with the crackdown.

SCENES FROM THE MOVEMENT:

Karachi protests: