Sushila Karki (File photo)Nepal’s former Chief Justice Sushila Karki—the first woman to hold that post—has been chosen to lead the country’s interim administration, ending days of speculation over who would serve as caretaker prime minister following the collapse of the KP Sharma Oli government after youth-led protests.Nepal's Parliament has been dissolved as well."President Ram Chandra Paudel will appoint former chief justice Sushila Karki as the prime minister," presidential press adviser Kiran Pokharel said in a statement, as reported by AFP.The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 8:45 pm local time (8:30 pm IST), according to reports.Karki, an alumna of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in India, was among four candidates before being finally selected following consultations involving President Poudel, Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel, and representatives of the youth demonstrators, dubbed “Gen Z.”Also in the running were former Nepal Electricity Authority chief Kulman Ghising, Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, and Dharan mayor Harka Sampang.The "Gen Z" protests, initially sparked by a controversial social media ban, escalated into a broader rejection of corruption, nepotism and entrenched political elites. Soldiers remain deployed across Kathmandu after demonstrators torched government buildings, politicians’ residences and the parliament.Who is Sushila Karki?Sushila Karki made history in July 2016 when she became Nepal’s first female chief justice. Her tenure, however, ended less than a year later after lawmakers filed an impeachment motion accusing her of “delivering biased verdicts” and "interfering" in executive jurisdiction. The move followed a Nepal Supreme Court ruling that struck down the government’s decision on police chief appointments, saying seniority had been unfairly bypassed.Although automatically suspended while the probe was pending, the impeachment failed to secure the two-thirds majority required before her retirement in June 2017.Born on June 7, 1952, in Biratnagar, the ex-jurist studied political science at BHU in 1975 and law at Tribhuvan University in 1978. Before becoming chief justice, she served as a Supreme Court justice, senior advocate and law professor. She is also an author on gender equality and has long been involved in human rights and women’s judicial organisations.Karki has been recognised with awards including the Sambhav Kanoon Puraskar (2004).