Lawyers warn will march if dumped judges not reinstated

SHOTLIST 1. Exterior of the house belonging to Aitzaz Ahsan President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association 2. Armed police outside house 3. Pan of news conference 4. SOUNDBITE (English): Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association: "Out of 270 seats that were contested, (Pakistani President) Pervez Musharraf's own party, the Kings Party, the PML-Q (Pakistan Muslim League- Q) won only 42. That is the verdict of the people, he's not just unpopular, he's the most hated man in this country." 5. Cutaway of media 6. SOUNDBITE (English): Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association: "General Musharraf has no other option but to resign." 7. Cutaway of media 8. SOUNDBITE (English): Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association: "The judges have not been removed under the constitution they have only been prevented from exercising their functions and they must be allowed to go back to their court room and to hold court, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and the others. And if the parliament thinks it is going to ignore it, the lawyers of Pakistan are not going to ignore it and we are going to start, we will march with the judges if parliament will not give us our judges by the eighth of March we will march to Islamabad from all directions." 9. US consulate Principal Officer Bryan D Hunt getting out of his car 10. Various of Hunt talking with Aitzaz Ahsan STORYLINE Pakistani lawyers will demonstrate in the capital Islamabad unless judges axed by President Pervez Musharraf during his November emergency rule are reinstated, one of the detained lawyers said on Wednesday. Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association told reporters at his Lahore residence where he has been held for over three months, that the opposition victory in Monday's parliamentary election should persuade Musharraf to quit. "General Musharraf has no other option but to resign," Ashan said. Final results from this week's parliamentary poll in the country were expected later on Wednesday, but with the count nearly complete, two opposition parties have won enough seats to form a new government, though they will likely fall short of the two-thirds needed to impeach Musharraf. Musharraf's spokesman said Tuesday the former army chief intends to work with the new government and will serve out his term that expires in 2012. "Out of 270 seats that were contested, Pervez Musharraf's own party, the Kings Party, the PML-Q (Pakistan Muslim League- Q) won only 42. That is the verdict of the people, he's not just unpopular, he's the most hated man in this country," said Ahsan. Ahsan, a minister under slain ex-premier Benazir Bhutto whose party won the vote, came into the limelight last year when he toured the country with Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, the chief justice sacked by Musharraf, to call for his restoration. Ahsan was placed under house arrest when Musharraf declared the emergency and purged the judiciary, which was questioning the legality of his re-election as president. But since Monday's election, authorities have relaxed some restrictions, allowing him to receive visitors and reconnecting his telephone. Ahsan said he expected to be released soon and warned that if the sacked judges were not restored before March 9, the anniversary of Chaudhry's removal, lawyers would resume protests. "If Parliament thinks they are going to ignore it, the lawyers of Pakistan are not going to ignore it ... we will march on Islamabad from all directions," Ahsan said. Ahsan was also visited at his home by US consulate representative Bryan D Hunt for talks on the unfolding political situation in Pakistan. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/010aa812088d2df5f9e5ce963b7c62b0 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork