Pakistan tourism minister puts in papers

Islamabad, May 20: Pakistan Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar, at the centre of a controversy after pictures of her hugging her paragliding instructor were published and drew condemnation from clerics, has tendered her resignation from the federal cabinet.

However, no decision on her resignation has been taken as Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is currently out of the country, media reports here said, citing highly-placed sources.

The government's refusal to confirm or deny the resignation of Ms Bakhtiar has strengthened suspicions that the report is true.

Expressing ignorance about the issue, Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said he could not confirm or deny whether Ms Bakhtiar had tendered her resignation until Prime Minister Aziz returned from his West Asia tour, the Daily Times today reported. It cited a close friend of the minister as saying that Ms Bakhtiar had been ''disturbed and depressed'' after the press published pictures appearing to show her hugging her French instructor after a paragliding jump in France.

''Nilofar is in Lahore, but I cannot confirm her resignation because there has been no contact between us for the last four days,'' she said, but denied reports there was any pressure for the Minister's resignation.

The report quoted senior Pakistan Muslim League (PML) sources as saying the resignation is still with the Tourism Ministry secretary and was to be forwarded to the PM today.

However, another report contended that the party leaders' preference for Women Development&Youth Affairs Minister Sumaira Malik, as evinced by Ms Bakhtiar's removal as the chief of the party's Womans's Wing recently, was behind the latter's decision to put in her papers. Ms Malik, the niece of former President Sardar Farooq Ahmed Leghari , had come into prominence by projecting and defending the 'controverial' Women's Protection Act, which was recently approved by the federal legislature.

''Ms Bakhtiar felt let down after she was asked to step down as chairperson of Women's Wing of the Pakistan Muslim League two months back,'' 'The News' cited an informed official as saying.

The official said that Ms Bakhtiar handed over her resignation to Mr Aziz before he departed for Jordan three days back. Since he was yet to forward it to President Pervez Musharraf, indicating its acceptance, Ms Bakhtiar had chosen not to go public announcing her resignation.

UNI