19 June 2004	Saturday	30 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

LAHORE, June 18: Sughra Imam on Friday resigned from the office of Punjab minister for social welfare. The chief minister has accepted her resignation and asked Ashifa Riaz Fatyana to look after the affairs of the ministry till further orders.

Daughter of former federal ministers Syed Fakhr Imam and Abida Husain, Ms Imam had joined the cabinet nearly six months ago. Ms Imam had said at a private meeting a few days back that she was not happy at the division of her department into three.

A job which could easily be performed by a single minister had been entrusted to three ministers, she had complained. She also thought that the Punjab cabinet was too heavy and there was room to relieve many ministers.

Ms Imam, who headed the Jhang district council before contesting the provincial assembly election, was also finding it difficult to stay in the cabinet because her parents were opposing President Gen Pervez Musharraf and his policies.