Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's 'PM' resigns

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's "Prime Minister" Raja Farooq Haider today resigned to avoid facing a no-trust vote.

A group of 18 out of 25 ministers had recently resigned and the PoK legislative assembly was scheduled to take up the no-confidence motion tomorrow.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Haider said he had sent his resignation to "President" Raja Zulqarnain.

Haider alleged that the Pakistan People's Party, which is in power at the centre, was behind the no-confidence motion against him.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was involved in a "conspiracy" to remove him, Haider further alleged.

The names of persons who are not even members of the PoK assembly were mentioned in the motion, he contended.

Haider said ministers had been making demands that their sons should be recruited in high positions and that their relatives should be appointed as judges.

"I worked for nine months in the benefit of Pakistan," an angry Haider said.

He also alleged that there was interference from the federal government.

Haider is the third "prime minister" of PoK to resign in four years. He was also the third person to be elected to the post by the current assembly.

Senior PPP leader and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Haider's Muslim Conference party was facing a rift and this is the main reason for his resignation.

Kaira said the federal government had no role in the matter. He also pointed out that the PPP has only seven members in the PoK assembly.

The legislative assembly is expected to elect a new "prime minister" soon.