ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Zahid Hamid Khan on Friday tendered his resignation from his position of Minister for Science and Technology.

Sources told Dawn that Hamid confirmed his resignation which is pending with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for approval.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who also confirmed Zahid's resignation, said the premier is yet to accept it.

Dar said the court's decision is majority but not with consensus.

"Detailed reaction would be issued after fully examining the court's verdict by the government," he said.

He dismissed speculation that Hamid's resignation came in the wake of the inclusion of his name in the charge sheet for high treason against former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Hamid was law minister at the time Musharraf had imposed a state of emergency in the country.

Earlier today, a special court trying Musharraf for treason directed the government to add Hamid's name to the charge sheet.

Take a look: Special court partially okays trial of Musharraf's abettors

Political career

Hamid was born on October 24, 1947 in Lahore. He completed his BA Honours and MA from Cambridge University UK and LLB degree from Punjab University.

He is a lawyer by profession and has been a civil servant and an industrialist with legislative interests in environment, finance and law.

Following Musharraf's military takeover in 1999, Hamid defected to the breakaway faction of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) called the Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) and was elected MNA from NA-114, Sialkot-V in the 2002 election.

Hamid had held the portfolio of law minister in the Musharraf government and was said to be a close aide of the former army strongman. Before the 2008 elections, he joined the PML-N.

Following the PML's victory in the May 2013 general election, Hamid was assigned the law ministry’s portfolio which was later withdrawn after filing of a petition seeking his trial along with Musharraf for high treason since he was the law minister in the former president's cabinet as well. He was subsequently allocated the portfolio of science and technology.

— Abdul Shakoor Khan, Iftikhar Abbas Sherazi and Mateen Haider contributed to reporting