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 to the Supreme Court by the security officials. He was later placed under unofficial house arrest and media or anyone from the outside world was not allowed to approach him. Soon after the oath taking ceremony, the SJC went into a session and decided to call on Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on 13 March to answer the allegations of misconduct levelled against him. Presided over by Acting Chief Justice Javed Iqbal, the SJC also ordered the Chief Justice not to perform functions as judge of the Supreme Court or as the Chief Justice until the reference was decided on