PDP Minister resigns from J&K Cabinet

Srinagar, Sep 3 (UNI) Angered over Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's decision to strip him of his Forest,Environment and Ecology portfolio, Housing and Urban Development Minister and senior PDP leader Qazi Mohammad Afzal today resigned from the state Council of Ministers.

Mr Afzal told UNI that he has submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti at 1615 hrs.

Mr Afzal said Mr Azad had taken the decision on Sunday without consulting the PDP leadership.

He termed as ''baseless'' the allegations levelled against him, saying the decision was ''grave humiliation'' to him, his party and the people of his constituency (Ganderbal).

''The people of my constituency are feeling humiliated, hurt and dejected by Mr Azad's decision,'' the PDP leader said.

Mr Afzal said he has tendered the resignation from the Council of Ministers to uphold the dignity and honour of the PDP, the people of his constituency besides himself.

The resignation comes two days after Mr Afzal was stripped of the Forest, Environment and Ecology portfolio by Mr Azad following allegations of creating artificial timber scarcity in the state.

However, the charge of Housing and Urban Development Ministry was not taken away from him.

The state government had constituted an internal inquiry which found that not much timber was being marked by the State Forest Corporation (SFC) for use in commercial and private construction work, leading to creation of artificial scarcity of timber.

The inquiry also ascertained that the SFC was allegedly in nexus with some timber smugglers from outside the state, sources said.

Mr Afzal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had emerged as a giant killer in the 2002 state Assembly elections after he defeated National Conference (NC) president Omar Abdullah from the Ganderbal constituency, a traditional bastion of the Sheikh family.

UNI