August 29, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 15, 1428

MULTAN, Aug 28: Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology Makhdoom Syed Hassan Gilani resigned from the cabinet on Tuesday in protest against the ‘policies of President Pervez Musharraf’.

Mr Gilani, who was elected MNA on the ticket of the PML-Q, has also announced joining the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

Speaking at a press conference along with PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, he said that there was no forward bloc in the ruling PML, but it was a group of people who did not like policies of the government and about 40 to 50 people in the party had differences with the government.

He said he could not give his vote to Gen Pervez Musharraf because the PML had turned into a one-man party.

Mr Gilani said the cabinet had not been taken into confidence on important decisions, such as reference against the chief justice and the Lal Masjid operation. He said the president should dissolve the assemblies and announce the schedule for general elections.

He said he had sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and was handing over his resignation from the NA membership to Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. He said he had full confidence in the leadership of Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Javed Hashmi said that he was sending the resignation of Mr Gelani to Nawaz Sharif so that he could use it whenever he needed.

He said the stand of Ishaq Khakwani, who resigned from the cabinet on Monday, was on principle, adding that although he was still in the PML, he was in contact with the PML-N.