Supreme Court (SC) Justice Umar Ata Bandial took oath as the Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan on Friday.

The oath was administered by Justice Qazi Faez Isa at the Supreme Court in Islamabad.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, who is the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan, is currently in the United States on a private visit.

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The president has appointed Justice Bandial, senior judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, as acting chief justice of Pakistan.

Justice Bandial will serve as chief justice of Pakistan during the period CJP Gulzar Ahmed remains abroad, said a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice on Tuesday.

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Justice Bandial also served as the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court for two years until his elevation as Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan in June 2014.

During his career as Judge of the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial has rendered judgments on a number of important public law and private law issues. These include pronouncements on civil and commercial disputes, Constitutional rights, and public interest matters.