Seven years before she became Nepal's first woman prime minister, Sushila Karki faced an impeachment threat as the country's Chief Justice.

At the time, months before her retirement, then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, and several MPs moved to remove Ms Karki from her post. She is the first and only woman in Nepalese history to hold the top judicial position.

The confrontation centred on a verdict. Ms Karki's bench overruled the government's appointment of the national police chief, arguing the most senior officer should be given the position.

The ruling coalition, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), Nepali Congress and smaller parties, reportedly responded by suspending Ms Karki and filing an impeachment motion against her for judicial overreach.

At least 249 lawmakers signed the motion, surpassing the quarter of parliament required to initiate an investigation.Nepalese media reported that disagreements within the coalition over the appointment added to the tensions.

An impeachment committee was formed to examine the case, which attracted global attention, casting Ms Karki as a symbol of judicial independence in a politically unstable Nepal.International bodies rallied to her defence.

Source:Ndtv