PESHAWAR, Feb 25: The chief justice of Peshawar High Court, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, has asked the subordinate judicial staff not to entertain personal friends during official duty and remain punctual.

In this regard a circular was issued by the high court on Monday to all the district and sessions judges, asking them to direct their subordinate judicial officers not to waste time during office hours.

Justice Jan has observed that the judicial officers should not entertain friends at the cost of creating problems for the litigants and general public.

The chief justice had paid a surprise visit to district courts Mardan on Friday and had found two of the civil judges entertaining their friends in their retiring rooms.

Justice Jan took exception to this and has sought explanation from them on Monday.

Some of the lawyers present in the courts informed the chief justice that they had been waiting for the judicial officers to attend the court so that they could attend their respective cases.

Justice Jan asked the lawyers that the high court should be informed about any of the wrong-doings by the judicial officers. Justice Jan, who was appointed as chief justice last month, has been conducting surprise visits to different stations, and a few days back he had transferred the district and sessions judge, Buner and superintendent at the same stations for being arriving late on duty.

Similarly, he had also visited district courts in Peshawar and heard grievances of lawyers and litigants.