November 17, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 18, 1429

NEW YORK, Nov 16: A large number of Pakistani-Americans accorded a warm welcome to the deposed Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who arrived at New York’s JFK airport on Sunday.

He will receive honorary membership of the New York City Bar Association on Monday.

Pakistan Embassy officials, including Consul General Mohsin Razi, were also at the airport.

Mr Razi told reporters that he was at the airport to welcome the former chief justice who was “a prominent Pakistani personality”. “We will give him full protocol,” he added.

The New York Bar Association’s award was announced in January when Justice Iftikhar was under house arrest after his ouster by former President Pervez Musharraf.

The honorary membership of the New York Bar has been previously awarded to Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the US Supreme Court, Chief Justice Bhagwati of the Indian Supreme Court and Judge Thomas Buergenthal of the International Court of Justice.