GILGIT, April 27: The PPP Northern Areas, in its executive body meeting held here on Saturday, called the Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) an autocratic body as it was under the direct control of the Northern Areas chief executive who is a non-elected person.

The party said the NALC was devoid of the democratic norms because the chief executive had been imposing his decisions on the council from time to time irrespective of the public opinion, and the deputy chief executive and speaker of the NALC were toeing his line.

It alleged that the chief executive had inducted advisers to the NALC on personal consideration and did not consider merit in the selection of advisers from all districts and ethnic groups.

The party accused Abbas Sarfraz Khan, Northern Areas Chief Executive, for delaying the work on the evolution of an autonomous legislative council, adding that the PPP had acquired an overwhelming majority in the NALC but was still taking the opposition seats because the chief executive had deliberately hindered the insertion of the provision of no-confidence movement in the Legal Framework Order (LFO).

It said had the provision of no-confidence been included in the LFO, the party would have been able to table a no-confidence motion in the NALC.

The PPP members also opposed the referendum of the Pervez Musharraf and termed it an unconstitutional move.

Sarfraz Shah, a PPP member of the NALC, also alleged that the map of the Northern Areas was being tampered with in the name of “scientific amendments,” and urged the people and the NALC to resist the amendment.

They criticized the deputy chief executive of Northern Areas, Fida Mohammad Nashad, for his avowals to support Musharraf’s referendum because 1.5 million people of Northern Areas did not have the right to vote.

During the meeting, two independent members of the NALC, Sarfraz Shah and Mohammad Ismail, announced to join the Pakistan People’s party. They said they repose their full confidence in the local and national leadership of the PPP.

Following the inclusion of the above independent members, the PPP’s strength in the NALC has increased to eight.

The meeting was addressed by Syed Jafar Shah, president Northern Areas PPP and member of the NALC; Pir Karamali Shah, former deputy NA chief executive; Syed Mahdi Shah, member of the NALC; Qurban Ali, member of the NALC; Mohammad Jafar, member of the NALC; Wazeer Baig, member of the NALC; Sarfraz Shah, member of the NALC; and Mohammad Ismail, member of the NALC.

BY-ELECTION: The by-election for the Northern Areas Legislative Council will be held on Tuesday in Yasin constituency, Ghizer district, the Northern Areas Election Commission notified here on Saturday.