March 16, 2006	Thursday	Safar 15, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, March 15: The Supreme Court was requested on Tuesday to stay the upcoming Northern Areas Legislative Council elections through a petition challenging the recent creation of six technocrat seats in the council by the government.

Filed under original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on fundamental rights, the joint petition was filed by Mohammad Ali Akhtar Member Legislative Assembly (MLA), Mohammad Jaffer President PPP Gangche (NA), Bashir Ahmed Coordinator PPP, Skardu, and Raja Shahzada Hussain President youth wing PML-N Gilgit.

Advocate Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry has filed the petition who pleaded that on March 4, 2006, the government “unlawfully” amended the N. Areas Legal Framework Order 1994 to induct six new seats of technocrats in the Legislative Council.

The petition urged the court to declare the amendment as discriminatory and amounted to taking away authority of the legislative council especially in view of a resolution passed by the council on Nov 14, 2005 rejecting proposal of induction of technocrat seats.

Election to the Northern Areas scheduled for March 22 for which the process of filing nomination will commence from Wednesday.