MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 18: The opposition in the AJK Legislative Assembly staged a walkout on Tuesday to protest against a ruling of Speaker Sardar Siab Khalid, who refused to entertain its demand regarding the constitution of a committee to look into appointments allegedly in violation of rules.

During the question hour, Electricity Minister Sardar Mir Akbar Khan, responding to a question on the number of employees in the AJK Hydroelectric Board, admitted that the district quota was not fully observed while making most of the appointments.

Law Minister Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan informed the house that the government had set up a committee to review the appointments made since 1995 against the rules or the district quota. He said the committee would present its report in the next session. The committee, he said, was headed by him and it included secretaries for law and services and general administration.

Opposition members, Sahibzada Ishaq Zafar, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, Sardar Ghulam Sadiq and others, demanded that a house committee should be formed to review such appointments. The demand generated a debate and a treasury member, Sardar Tahir Anwar, supported it.

The speaker ruled that the existing committee should present its report. If need be, a house committee could be formed later, he held. This provoked the opposition members into staging a walkout. They said the ruling was against the opinion of the majority of the members.