Suspension of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry landmark decision which would change the course of judicial history of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif called off the Long March after securing the reinstatement of the PMLN Punjab Government and unilaterally ended the Long March . He thanked the nation while it was announced that CJ Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry would be sworn back in on 21 March. In a short speech, PM Gilani officially announced that Iftikhar Chaudhry would be reinstated as the Supreme Court Justice. He also announced that Section 144 would be lifted throughout the country. He congratulated the people of Pakistan on this historic occasion. It Later emerged
Asif Ali Zardari tried to force his brother Shahbaz Sharif to resign as Chief Minister of Punjab province. Zardari dismissed the Punjab provincial government and only partially reinstated the judiciary by restoring 56 other judges deposed by Musharraf—but not their former leader, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. After Nawaz Sharif defied house arrest and rallied with thousands of his supporters, the Sharif brothers vowed to join forces with the Lawyers' Movement in the "Long March". Zardari's government gave in to popular pressure and Prime Minister Gilani in an early morning speech on 16 March 2009 promised to reinstate Chaudhry by 21 March. Ten judges