September 3, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Saani24,1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 2: AJK Ehtesab Bureau chairman and acting ombudsman Basharat Ahmed Sheikh resigned on Monday.

The chairman, who was on leave from July 16 to Sept 1, sent his resignation to the AJK president, wherein he did not cite any particular reason for his decision to quit one year before completion of his term in the bureau.

According to a handout of the ombudsman’s secretariat, Mr Sheikh has also relinquished the additional charge of the AJK ombudsman. Mr Sheikh, a retired judge of the AJK Supreme Court, was appointed Ehtesab Bureau chairman on Sept 1, 2000, for three years on contract. On Oct 9, 2001, he was given the additional charge of AJK ombudsman following the retirement of Tariq Masood Chaudhry.

Sources close to Sheikh told Dawn that he had made up his mind for resignation long ago for a number of reasons. However, he was waiting for the decision of the High Court on two petitions challenging his appointment. The petitions were rejected on July 10.

Mr Sheikh, sources said, had verbally informed the president and prime minister of his decision to quit and despite their persuasion had refused to change his mind. According to sources, he was unhappy over the lack of cooperation from government departments.