NEW YORK: One of the world’s largest bar associations has conferred its honorary lifetime membership on deposed chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry at a solemn ceremony here.

The 23,000-member New York City Bar Association’s President Patricia Hynes presented the award-a framed citation-to justice Chaudhry on Monday in recognition of his efforts to uphold the rule of law.

“This is a very proud moment for our association,” Hynes told Chaudhry as a large gathering of lawyers and other guests gave him a standing ovation. “We are proud to be your colleagues,” she added as justice Chaudhry profusely thanked the bar members for the honour done to him.

The former chief justice addressed the gathering after his formal introduction by a US judge, Jed Rakoff, who praised his courage in upholding the rule of law.

He told the audience about some of justice Chaudhry’s important judgments, which went against the establishment, despite the pressures brought on him. He paid tribute to him for standing up to President Pervez Musharraf so that the cause of justice was upheld, a stance that endeared him to the people.

Judge Rakoff also narrated in detail about the hardships justice Chaudhry underwent after being ousted by Musharraf, saying he never gave up.

Addressing the gathering, justice Chaudhry paid tribute to American lawyers for supporting the lawyers’ movement in Pakistan in their struggle to restore an independent judiciary. Pakistani lawyers, especially the young, have been in the forefront of the struggle for the independence of judiciary.

He said he had accepted the high honour bestowed on him in the name of the people of Pakistan who have struggled against military dictatorships, tyranny and injustice. “No democracy can survive without an independent judiciary. There can be no democracy without law. Lack of justice produces inequalities. Only independent judiciary can checkmate extremism.”

Justice Iftikhar said neither war against terrorism and extremism can be won nor democratic government could work without independent judiciary. He said independent judiciary was vital to win the war against terrorism. He said only independent judiciary could provide protection to Pakistani people and its all institutions.

“I am not among those who are cowardly. I always worked for the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution. I am moving forward not for my office as Chief Justice of Pakistan but for independent judiciary. I faced many difficulties in my life but these difficulties did not weaken my resolve,” he said.

Earlier, the deposed CJ, former Supreme Court Bar Association President Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Athar Minallah were received warmly on their arrival at New York Bar. “While parliament is sovereign, the court too has a vital function,” he added. Chaudhry is the eighth individual to be conferred honorary membership by the New York City Bar. Earlier recipients include former chief justice of the United States William Rehnquist, former chief justice of India PN Bhagwati, and judge Thomas Buergenthal of the International Court of Justice.