ISLAMABAD, July 31: The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui was of the view that the increase in the number of judges to the Supreme Court to 16 , would help in reducing the case workload and speed up working (of the courts) as 20,000 cases were still pending.

The chief justice was talking informally to reporters here on Saturday, after he administered the oath of office to three senior judges in the ceremonial hall of the Supreme Court building.

The chief justice said he was satisfied with the present rate of disposal of cases as during the last five months as many as 4,724 cases were decided.

He said he has already directed the Supreme Court office to fix the old cases before different benches to reduce the pendency (waiting) period of those cases.

Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui said he was not aware why the name of the incumbent Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain was dropped from the final list, sent by himself, and approved by the competent authority, in reply to a question by a journalist. But he added that one more seat in the Supreme Court would become vacant when Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal would retire on August 14, after which steps would be taken to fill the remaining two seats of judges in the apex court. With the elevation of three judges to the apex court, the strength of judges has increased to 16 against a total 17 posts.

When his attention was drawn towards the statement of the President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Tariq Mahmood who had termed the elevation of the three judges as violation of the principle of seniority established by the March 20, 1996 Judges Case, the chief justice stated that he had not read that statement, and besides those were the SCBA president's personal views.

The ceremony was also attended by the judges of the Supreme Court, Attorney General of Pakistan Makhdoom Ali Khan, Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court, Secretary Law Mansoor Ahmed, officers of the Supreme Court, FSC, law officers and a large number of advocates.

Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, the former Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court and Justice M. Javed Butter and Justice Tassadduq Hussain Jillani of the Lahore High Court were administered the oath as Supreme Court judges.