PESHAWAR, Aug 19: The Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, Justice Nasirul Mulk, on Thursday urged newly-appointed civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates to serve people without succumbing to any pressure.

Justice Nasir said that judicial career was the most responsible career as imparting justice was a great responsibility bestowed on judicial officers. Addressing the concluding ceremony of a pre-service orientation workshop for newly-appointed civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates, the chief justice asked them not to treat any case as less important.

"In every case a lot of stakes of the parties are involved. A one kanal land may mean more to a poor man than 100 kanals of land to an influential man," Justice Nasir added. He stated that officers should resist all sorts of pressures. These pressures, he added, might come from within the judiciary or from outside.

The chief justice stated that three things would make them good judicial officers: integrity, competency and efficiency. Justice Nasir added that competency and efficiency could be achieved through hard work and for integrity the judicial officers had to restrain themselves from succumbing to temptations and influence.

The chief justice advised them that they might have temptations towards material things or face influence of friends, relatives, colleagues and superiors but they had to resist such things.

"Please learn to say no to people approaching you for any favour," Justice Nasir said, adding "you are answerable for your own deeds and ultimately you are accountable to Almighty Allah."

The chief justice said that minor offences and small claims courts were being established for providing speedy justice to litigants involved in minor civil disputes and petty offences.

The chief justice said that after assuming the office of the chief justice last month he had ordered the judicial officers not to exercise any extraneous pressure on the high court regarding their postings and transfers.