The suspension on 9 March 2007 of the chief justice of Pakistan’s supreme court, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry for alleged misuse of power in challenging government actions has backfired on the country’s president, Pervez Musharraf. A striking feature of the wave of protest against the decision – whose latest manifestation is a mass demonstration in Islamabad in support of Chaudhry outside the supreme-court building on 3 April – is the prominent role taken by Pakistan’s lawyers.

What makes the Pakistani campaign so interesting is that this is not the first time that lawyers have played a catalytic role in pushing for reform in a predominantly Muslim country. Just over a decade ago, a group of Turkish lawyers launched a nationwide civic mobilisation against corruption and government unaccountability, an effort that inspired millions of citizens to become involved.

Together, the Pakistani and Turkish cases offer valuable lessons about the effectiveness of non-violent strategies and methods.

Shaazka Beyerle