GILGIT, Nov 26: Almost all PML candidates who lost in the recently-held Northern Areas' Legislative Council elections are vying for six seats reserved for technocrats in the house.

PML sources said they had conducted interviews of over 60 applicants for the seats and a decision would be made on 'merit' once the process was finalized.

Abdul Quddus, a former PPP leader who joined the PML after winning election, opposed the selection of the defeated PML candidates on the seats reserved for technocrats as it would be in violation of the merit.

The sources said that a notification of the increased seats for technocrats was awaited and lobbying was in full swing. Majority of the defeated PML candidates took shelter behind their expertise of being "religious leaders" and in some instances they have also got a flickering hope of getting appointed as technocrats, the sources said.

They claim to control sectarian mobs during sectarian strife in the region and using the "expertise" as a tool to blackmail the government, the sources said. The PPP and PML-N leaders accused the PML of violating all democratic norms and values in selecting the technocrats, saying there was absolutely no criterion.

"Even the drivers and conductors of buses are offered technocrat seats to collect Rs5,000 as application fee and how can you expect of observing merit," the PML-N leader and NALC member, Qari Hafizur Rahman, said.

He said the previous council had passed a resolution opposing the creation of technocrat seats but PML was out to create them just to get its defeated candidates into the house.

He said the PML had made a mockery of the democracy by introducing the "sycophants culture". He said the PML was ignoring the wishes of the people and using its majority as a brute force to foist incompetent and defeated elements upon the NALC.

The sources said the PML hurriedly convened the NALC session on Monday without filling in the six seats reserved for women and held election for speaker, deputy speaker and the deputy chief.