Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry case: Timeline

Following is the sequence of events since Pakistan's Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry was suspended on March 9, which sparked a major crisis in the country.

March 9: Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, 20th chief justice of Pakistan, is suspended by President Pervez Musharraf on charges of "misuse of authority." Justice Javaid Iqbal is sworn in as acting chief justice of the Supreme Court. Musharraf sends a reference to the Supreme Judicial Council to investigate allegations of misconduct against Chaudhry.

March 12: Lawyers across Pakistan begin boycotting courts and stage protests against the suspension.

March 13: Justice Chaudhry appears in a closed hearing before the Supreme Judicial Council. Chaudhry denounces moves against him, saying neither Musharraf nor the SJC had the authority to prevent him from working.

March 16: Violence breaks out at an Islamabad rally in support of Chaudhry. Chaudhry requests that because his lawyers were not allowed to meet him by the government, the hearing should be adjourned till March 26, but SJC sets the hearing for March 21.

March 21: SJC postpones hearing till April 3.

March 24: Rana Bhagwandas sworn in as Acting CJ, becomes the first Hindu judge to occupy the top post.

April 3: SJC adjourns hearing of presidential reference against Chaudhry till April 13. Security stepped up amid spiralling protests against the judge's suspension.

April 13: SJC adjourns the hearing of presidential reference till April 18 after Chaudhry's lawyer questions the inclusion of three judges in the panel.

April 18: Chaudhry challenges the composition of the judicial body hearing allegations against him.

May 5: Chaudhry travels from Islamabad to Lahore to address a rally, his first public function after his suspension, gets a huge response.

May 6: Chaudhry tells a lawyers' rally in Lahore that dictatorships will inevitably be 'destroyed.'

May 12: Riots erupt in Karachi with pro-government activists clashing with opposition supporters as Chaudhry flies to the city, intending to address a rally. 40 killed in violence.

May 14: One of the judges, Justice Falak Sher, declines to hear the case saying earlier he had objected to Chaudhry's appointment as chief justice. The SJC is reconstituted.

May 16: Musharraf's lawyers tell the court that Musharraf is not answerable to the court so his name should not be there in the petition lodged by the chief justice of Pakistan.

May 23: Chaudhry's lawyers tell SC they were under "enormous government pressure" and receiving threatening calls.

May 29: Chaudhry accuses Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and top brass of the intelligence of pressuring him to quit with offers to "accommodate" him.

June 7: Top brass of intelligence agencies accuse Chaudhry of using their organisations for spying on fellow judges several months before his ouster.

June 28: Government says it has no objection to Chaudhry being tried by the Supreme Court full bench, relenting on its demand that a judicial panel examine the complaints.

July 16: Musharraf drops the charge of "misconduct", one of the two allegations made against Chaudhry.

July 17: Suicide bomber blows himself up killing 17 just before Chaudhry is to address a meeting in Islamabad. SC slams the government for not issuing a notice to Chaudhry before removing him.

July 20: SC reinstates Chaudhry.