ISLAMABAD, April 9: In the wake of government’s decision to move the clocks forward by an hour, the district administration with the consent of judicial officers has fixed a new time table for the nine courts of Islamabad.

The district courts are now functioning from 9am to 4pm instead of the old eight-to-three routine.

Most lawyers expressed surprise over the development and said the change of timings negated the government’s claims of making a maximum use of daylight.

They noted that Pakistan did not have as much seasonal variation in the duration of day and night as in most parts of Europe where such arrangements were made.

They also pointed out that no matter when the offices were opened, lights would definitely be switched on by workers.

They said the decision-makers seemed totally ignorant of the fact that government employees would never work without lights even in daytime.

Had it been the case, they added, countries like Japan, China, Korea, Thailand would have introduced this exercise much earlier.