Long March towards a New Pakistan
Monday March 16. 2009. A beautiful morning it was. Nation woke up to a day that would be marked historically. A day that would be remembered for the struggle of Pakistani people against the dictatorship and jungle rule. Prime Minister Gillani announced the reinstatement of deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry, at 6 Am, as promised by Benazir Bhutto shaheed.
Full credit to lawyers movement and Nawaz Sharif. They lead the nation and it followed them faithfully. Long march for restoration of CJ may be over. He will take office on 21st. Some speculate that it was because of the army. Some say it was because of America, may be because of any deal between Sharif brothers and government and Iftikhar Chaudhry. Doesn’t matter. Movement for restoration of rule of law is not over yet. Restoration of CJ is merely first step towards a long march to democracy.
Restoration of CJ has brought good news for the terror hit country and its already suffering people. I asked some the question today. That CJ was restored but what benefit it would give them personally? Answer was more or less the same. Our lives will remain unchanged. We have spent our lives in the dark age. But our children will grow in a land governed by rules and law. Dictators will fear the people now. They will know how hard it gets to impose their wishful thinking and unlawful decisions.
Many of them believe that restoration of CJ will take Pakistan closer to become the kind of state that Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his followers dreamt of.
So to speak, job is far from finished. Challenges are yet to appear. CJ has greater responsibility over his shoulders now. He had taken stand against a dictator in the past and people remembered him for his tough judgments. So they took to streets for him and now have high hopes and expectations from him. Chief Justice of Pakistan owes them equal and fair justice.
Finally, our nation has started a long march towards a new Pakistan in the wake of this reinstatement.
God speed our nation !
Changing Times 
March 17, 2009 at 5:45 am
And there is a greater responsibility on all of us as well. Will we be as united as we were in this movement in face of future challenges and future injustices? What about implementing justice in our own lives? Are we ready to do that? I think the Long March towards true democracy cannot be accomplished unless we are ready to leave behind for good our traditional lack of activism, our guilty silences, and our enjoyment of immoral advantages in the various walks of our daily lives.