ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - The Supreme Court today reinstated Pakistan’s top judge, ruling that his suspension by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was illegal and dealing a major blow to the authority of the staunch U.S. ally.

The ruling to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry is probably the biggest challenge to Musharraf’s dominance since he seized power in a coup in 1999. It could further complicate his bid to win a new five-year presidential term this fall and comes at a time when Islamic militants are on the offensive.

Lawyers celebrated outside the court, chanting, "Go, Musharraf, go!" The verdict also prompted celebrations among gatherings of hundreds of lawyers in major cities, including Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Quetta, Peshawar and Rawalpindi.

"Thank God, we got justice," said Ahsan Bhund, president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, as he marched on a main city road with 500 other lawyers.

Presiding Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday said Musharraf’s order suspending Chaudhry was "set aside as being illegal."

Chaudhry’s March 9 suspension had sparked protests by lawyers and opposition parties that have grown into a powerful pro-democracy movement just as Musharraf faces a rising tide of Islamic militancy.

The lawyers swarmed around the justice’s chief counsel, Aitzaz Ahsan, as he told reporters that the case alleging misconduct by Chaudhry had been "quashed."

"He has been restored, and it is a victory for the entire nation," Ahsan said.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz accepted the ruling and appealed for national unity as Pakistan moves toward elections.

"I would like to emphasize that we must all accept the verdict with grace and dignity reflective of a mature nation. This is not the time to claim victory or defeat. The Constitution and the law have prevailed and must prevail at all times," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.

A top Pakistani human rights activists declared the verdict as an assertion of the independence of the judiciary and a victory for civil society.

"It’s very clear that guns and intimidation will not bow down civil society or civil institutions of Pakistan," said Asma Jehangir, chair of the nongovernment Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Musharraf suspended Chaudhry for allegedly pulling rank to secure a police job for his son and enjoying unwarranted privileges such as the use of government aircraft.

The government insists the case has no political motive and that Musharraf had little choice under the constitution but to suspend Chaudhry.

However, opponents accuse Musharraf of plotting to remove an independent-minded judge to forestall legal challenges to his plan to ask lawmakers for another term.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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