Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry blockade in Lahore en route to Islamabad in the night between 15 and 16 March 2009. A few hours later, on the morning of 16 March 2009, the prime minister of Pakistan restored Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as chief justice of Pakistan through an executive order, after which the opposition agreed to stop the "long march". Chaudhry surprised the whole country when he suspended the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) on the plea of the PSM workers' union. It did not merely embarrass the government but jeopardised the whole privatisation process. Chaudhry, who was heading the bench, observed that the
Suspension of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry the Supreme Court building during hearing of the reference. Earlier, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry reached Supreme Court along with his lawyers Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Hamid Ali Khan and Justice (Rtd) Tarique Mehmood to appear in the Supreme Judicial Council hearing of presidential reference against him. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, leading lawyer assisting the non-functional Chief Justice in the reference, talking to newsmen said that he would raise various objections before the SJC in today's hearing. He said that he will argue for open trial of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in the hearing, as people should know the truth of charges against the