Deposed CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry arrives in N.Y.

ISLAMABAD: Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan's
Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry flew into New York Sunday
afternoon for a week-long visit to the United States during which
he will receive awards from two institutions for upholding the cause
of independent judiciary.
He was received at John F. Kennedy International Airport by
Pakistan's Consul General, Mohsin Razi, local lawyers and
representatives of various political parties, including PML-N, Tehrik-i-Insaf, Jmaat-i-Islami and Awami National Party as well as
a number of Pakistanis residing here.
Prominent Pakistani Lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan was also present at the
airport to receive the former chief justice.
The Emirates flight he traveled landed at 2:50 p.m. (local)
(0050 PST Monday Pakistan standard time), one hour behind schedule.
At a ceremony on Monday, Justice Chaudhry will be made Honourary
Member of the New York City Bar Association. The award was bestowed
on him in absentia last January, as he was under house arrest after
his ouster and the suspension of the Pakistani Constitution by
President Pervez Musharraf in November last year.
On November 14th, 2007, the City and State Bars, along with several
other organizations, organized a rally of some 700 lawyers on the steps
of the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan in support of Justice
Chaudhry and the Pakistan Lawyers Movement.
The New York City Bar Association said in a press release, “The
award of Honorary Membership recognizes Chief Justice Chaudhry's
efforts to uphold Pakistan's independent judiciary.” Previous
recipients include Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S.
Supreme Court, Chief Justice Bhagwati of the Indian Supreme Court
and Judge Thomas Buergenthal of the International Court of Justice.