Pakistan protest Islamabad-bound

The lawyers are approaching the last leg of their protest

Lawyers in Pakistan are due to start a motorised protest from Lahore to Islamabad to demand the restoration of judges sacked by President Musharraf.

The journey is the last stage of a countrywide protest that began on Monday.

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.

Mr Chaudhry - who received a rousing welcome when he arrived in Lahore on Wednesday night - told the protesters that a free judiciary was vital for democracy to function in Pakistan.

'Decisive phase'

"You people have started a revolution which has to reach its logical conclusion," he told a crowd of hundreds.

If there's an independent judiciary the democratic system will work Iftikhar Chaudhry, Ousted chief justice

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.

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

It is expected to arrive in the capital late on Thursday night or early on Friday morning.

The lawyers and their supporters say they plan a peaceful sit-in outside parliament.

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.

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.

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.