ISLAMABAD, April 8: A Supreme Court bench on Thursday dismissed a petition of the APNS, challenging The Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1973 for being "not maintainable."

After hearing the petition for five days, the bench headed by Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, said in its unanimous short order, that the petitioner could not invoke the original jurisdiction of the apex court, as their petition did not involve any matter of public importance.

The court said: "For the reasons to be recorded later on, the instant petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is not maintainable, therefore, the same is dismissed. Petitioners may avail appropriate remedy before the competent forum, if desired or advised, in accordance with law."

Before issuing the order, the three-member bench heard Advocate Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Advocate Afzal Siddiqui for the petitioners, and Abid Hasan Minto, Akram Sheikh, Raja Mohammad Akram and Naseer Ahmed Bhutta for the respondents. The bench included Justice Sardar Raza Khan and Justice Falak Sher.