In a stunning turnabout, the Pakistani government has agreed to reinstate the former chief justice of the supreme court, who has become a symbol of judicial independence. Word of the rehabilitation of the popular chief justice followed a tumultuous weekend in Pakistan when the government tried but failed to prevent a huge protest by opposition leaders and lawyers.
STEVE INSKEEP, Host: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: In a major turnabout, the Pakistani government has agreed to reinstate the former chief justice of the nation's supreme court. That news follows a tumultuous weekend in Pakistan, in which the government tried but failed to prevent a huge protest organized by opposition leaders and lawyers. NPR's Anne Garrels has this report from Islamabad.</s>ANNE GARRELS: The government's concession was broadcast in a dawn address to the nation by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.</s>ANNE GARRELS: And when thousands turned out in the city of Lahore yesterday, to back the lawyers and political opponents, security forces did not or could not control the crowds, the police melted away. Despite the ban on public meetings, opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, led a protest rally and set of with his supporters for the planned sit-in in the capital.</s>ANNE GARRELS: Even before the prime minister spoke, word leaked out the government would be backing down and jubilant crowds gathered in the early hours at the chief justice's house here in Islamabad. Mohamed Younis Adeel(ph) a civil servant was among them. He says Chief Justice Chaudhry is a hero.</s>MOHAMED YOUNIS ADEEL: Stood against the dictators, the dictators asked him to do wrong things but he stood and refused him. We want democracy.</s>ANNE GARRELS: Shabad(ph), a policeman, was relieved he would not be asked to battle the demonstrators.</s>SHABAD: I hope the government do this. I hope. This is the very difficult - I know, this is a good day.</s>ANNE GARRELS: Usmal Ahmed Rancha(ph), a lawyer, was shocked and delighted at the turn of events.</s>USMAL AHMED RANCHA: I feel happy and I wanted to see, you know, the things going on with my own eyes.</s>ANNE GARRELS: She says Zardari badly misjudged popular support for both the lawyers and Nawaz Sharif.</s>USMAL AHMED RANCHA: He was not expecting, in his wildest dreams, to be - Nawaz Sharif and his brother - to be so strong, you know? The judges have made, you know, the lawyers have been struggling. Though I myself, I'm a lawyer, they have been struggling for the past two years but they have not been able to press the government to such an extent.</s>ANNE GARRELS: Anne Garrels, NPR News, Islamabad.