MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court here on Tuesday accepted for regular hearing a writ petition challenging the recently constituted AJK Public Service Commission (PSC) under an amended piece of law.

The single member bench, comprising Chief Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, has issued notices to the official and private respondents to submit their written statements before or by the next date of hearing on October 2.

The petition has been filed by former speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir and others through Raja Sajjad Ahmed, a former vice chairman of AJK Bar Council.

The petitioners have prayed that the AJK Public Service Commission (Amendment) Act, 2014, should be declared ultra-vires of the AJK’s Interim Constitution and the appointments of private respondents (PSC chairman and eight members) made hereunder on August 15 and September 1, 2014, should also be nullified.