His actions led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Gilani after he refused to write to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against then President Asif Ali Zardari.
Many critics had then described it as a “judicial coup”. The slot of the Chief Justice has to automatically go to the senior most judge after the retirement of the incumbent.
Neither the President nor the Prime Minister or the government has any role in the nomination of the Chief Justice.
Only the President is to administer oath to the new chief justice as per the Constitution.
Born on July 6, 1949, Jillani, hailing from Multan in Punjab, will retire on July 6, 2014, after reaching the age of 65.
After his superannuation, Justice Nasirul Mulk, from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, who would then be the senior most judge of the apex court.
If he is appointed the Chief Justice, his tenure will last less then 14 months.
