The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Pakistan Bar Council (PBA) have decided to resist any moves aimed at granting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry a service extension. The CJP is expected to retire in December this year as he turns 65, which is the retirement age for Supreme Court Judges according to the Constitution of Pakistan. This decision was taken in a meeting held on June 8 in which the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of SCBA and PBA along with the representatives of the four provincial bars were in attendance. A principled stand was taken up by the senior advocates to prevent granting of job extensions to heads of institutions such as the judiciary and the military. This decision comes at a time when both CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and COAS General Ashfaq Kayani are expected to retire soon. It is worth mentioning that General Kiyani has already received a 3-year service extension which is scheduled to end later this year. This principled stand against service extensions holds particular importance. Two petitions pertaining to CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s service extension have already been filed with the Supreme Court. One of the petitions even calls for granting an extension to the CJP equivalent to the time he spent under house arrest upon being dismissed by Musharraf. The stance taken by the bar associations of Pakistan is a welcome development as it is aimed at strengthening institutions. No individual is bigger than the institution he represents. All individuals should be promoted according to seniority and merit and should accordingly retire at the prescribed retirement age. Unfortunately, this has not been happening in Pakistan as service extensions are granted to heads of institutions which disturbs the natural order of things, denying the person who is next in line the opportunity to reach the top. This also gives the perception that individuals are indispensable whereas it should be remembered that the powers they exercise originate from the office they hold. They only act on behalf of the institutions they represent. CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has been holding this important position since the historic restoration of the judiciary after which the judiciary not only gained the confidence of the general population but also broke precedent by starting to assert itself. It is, however, important that a precedent is not set which may end up hurting the credibility of this august institution in charge of dispensation of justice in the country. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N’s) Information Secretary meanwhile has stated that his party would seriously consider giving a service extension to CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry when he retires. This does not reflect well on PML-N as the post of CJP is not a political one. The newly elected Prime Minister and leader of PML-N should learn a lesson or two from the Sajjad Ali Shah fiasco in his last stint as PM and also from the ransacking of the Supreme Court of Pakistan by PML-N workers. Nawaz has in recent years matured as a leader, so he should realize that the sanctity and impartiality of the Supreme Court can best be preserved if the honourable judges retire in a timely fashion and promotions are made as prescribed according to seniority. Nawaz lent full support to the restoration of the judiciary and has repeatedly professed his commitment to upholding the constitution due to which people have placed their trust in him. It would be unfortunate if he decides to circumvent the provisions of the constitution in the case of the CJP’s service extension. *