Lahore, Feb. 21: Extending his full support to the lawyer's protest scheduled for March 16, former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has said that Pakistan's sovereignty was linked to the success of the lawyers' movement.

Anticipating an unfavourable decision by the Supreme Court on an appeal against his eligibility, PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif has announced that his party would also participate in the lawyer's sit-in next month.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a meeting with a group of lawyers headed by Supreme Court Bar Association President Ali Ahmad Kurd, Sharif said his party would take every necessary step to ensure a respectful re-establishment of sovereignty of judiciary in the country.

"Our party is even ready to go beyond `sit-ins' to ensure the independence of judiciary. The day is not far when the sacked judges will be reinstated honourably," The Daily Times quoted, Sharif, as saying.

He expressed hope that the sit-in would be `effective and result-oriented'one.

Sharif lamented at the failure of the current regime to restore the independence of judiciary and the 17th Amendment, which it had promised earlier.

"I regret that the government did not fulfill its promise of the restoration of judiciary and that the 17th Amendment, the National Security Council and the Legal Framework Order inherited from Musharraf still existed," he said.

Sharif said he would welcome any step taken by the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) for the restoration of judiciary ahead of the next month's protest march.

He also urged citizens of Pakistan to participate in the march to show solidarity and protest. (ANI)