LAHORE, Sept 3: Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry said here on Friday he had requisitioned appointment of 103 civil judges to meet the shortfall across the province.

Talking to reporters after administering oath of office to four judges of the Lahore High Court, the chief justice said in reply to a question that the number of additional sessions judges was more or less adequate but the strength of civil judges fell short of the requirement.

According to Lahore High Court's annual report, the sanctioned strength of civil judges in the province was 654 but a little more than 500 were working at present. The sanctioned strength of additional sessions judges is 290 and that of special judicial magistrates 117 in addition to the presiding officers of a number of tribunals.

Replying to a question about the restructuring of a portion of the Lahore High Court building, Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry said that the preservation of its Gothic architecture would be ensured. He said only the southern portion was to be restructured to arrest its decay and provide space for more courtrooms.

He said that the high court building was not a monument and it had to be used for the purpose it was originally designated for more than a century ago. "Everything will be all right in due course of time," was the answer of Justice Chaudhry when questioned about the measures being adopted to fill vacancies in the Lahore High Court.

Earlier, the chief justice administered oath of office to Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam, Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali, Justice Mohammad Bilal Khan and Justice Sheikh Abdur Rashid at an impressive ceremony which was attended among others by other LHC judges and office-bearers of lawyers representative bodies like the Punjab Bar Council, the Lahore High Court Bar Association and the Lahore Bar Association.

The four judges and three others were appointed additional judges on Sept 3, 2003. Two of them were not considered for confirmation and Justice Mohammad Muzammil Khan was given a one-year extension through a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The four judges were later entertained at a reception hosted by the Lahore High Court Bar Association at the bar's Karachi Hall. LHCBA president Ahmad Awais, vice-president Syed Zilfiqar Ali, secretary Azam Nazir Tarar and finance secretary Sarfraz Ahmad attended the oath-taking ceremony along with Lahore Bar Association secretary Maqsood Buttar and finance secretary Shabana Ahmad.

Punjab Bar Council vice-chairperson Chaudhry Tanvirur Rehman Randhawa and executive committee chairperson Pir Mohammad Masood Chishti were also in attendance at Attorney-General's and Advocate-General's office.