May 23, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 06, 1428

ISLAMABAD May 22: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has clarified the replacement of Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar as president of the party’s women’s wing by another federal minister.

Ms Bakhtiar, apparently dejected by propaganda against her following her participating in a para-jumping event in France, had quit her party post and her resignation was accepted by the party chief. Later she sent her resignation from the ministry of tourism to the prime minister and as she has not been attending her office for a few days.

Chaudhry Hussain told Dawn: “The impression that the woman minister has been removed from the party office due to her activities abroad is absolutely rubbish”.

He said: “It should be clear to everyone that Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar had resigned because of her preoccupation with the ministerial job and it was accepted in that spirit”.

As far as her conduct as an amateur parachute jumper in France and the pictures of that event is concerned, he said: “I am not opposed to such healthy activities.”

Ms Bakhtiar was replaced on the party post last month by another federal minister, Sumaira Malik, giving rise to speculations that her exit was caused by her controversial parachute jump in France.