Noted Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jahangir Monday urged India and other democracies to support the lawyers' movement for the restoration of democracy in the neighbouring country.

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Jahangir, who was here to garner support against the military regime, said the ongoing lawyers' movement in Pakistan would continue until true democracy was established. 'We will not rest until Pakistan is rid of the dictatorial regime of Pervez Musharraf. We will carry on the movement till a progressive civilian government is in place. India and other neighbours must support us,' she said at a press conference here.

'The lawyers’ movement will continue till supremacy of civilian rule is restored in Pakistan. We will not rest with our recent victory,' Jehangir, said referring to the reinstatement of Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhry a few days ago.

The feisty lawyer said Pakistani political parties should come out and join the movement for democracy begun by the legal fraternity.

Jahangir was accompanied by former Pakistan Supreme Court judge Nasir Aslam Zahid who said that the time was now right for former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return to their country and actively participate in the movement against the military regime.

He said: 'Now is the time for Benazir and Sharif to come back to Pakistan and take their chances. This is the time they should come back as the people need civilian parties to lead them.'

Zahid also hoped that India would support them in their efforts. 'We need India's support at this juncture. The common man in Pakistan should get what the constitution promises him.

'With elections round the corner, we are worried about the weaponisation in the country. We hope that the elections do not start a spate of bombings.'

He said that the lawyers' movement was neither in support of nor against the storming of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad earlier this month where over 100 people including militants and soldiers were killed. The judge said that an independent inquiry should be constituted 'to find out the truth'.

The activists also fear that the military regime may declare a 'state of emergency' prior to the general polls.

'Even if they impose emergency, the lawyers' movement will not fizzle out. In fact the movement will gain more momentum,' Jahangir asserted.

'The military regime may now resort to state sponsored terrorism to intimidate the lawyers. As we are all aware a lot of violence in Pakistan is usually engineered by the military regime itself,' Zahid added.

- This note was put together by Maharashtra correspondents of IANS and forwarded by Jatin Desai from PIFPFPD