MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistani-administered Kashmir was removed from office Tuesday in a no-confidence vote amid allegations of corruption and nepotism, officials said.

Sardar Atique Ahmed was voted out, receiving only 17 votes against 31 in favour of Sardar Yaqub, who was sworn in as the new leader of the Pakistani part of the divided Himalayan territory, the officials said.

Relations between India and Pakistan, which each rule part of Kashmir but claim it in full, have been tense since the Mumbai attacks in November, in which 172 were killed, including nine attackers.

India has blamed the attack on the banned Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-i-Taiba, which is fighting New Delhis rule in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Ahmed accused the government of President Asif Ali Zardari of engineering his ouster.

Hundreds of Ahmeds supporters chanted anti-Zardari slogans outside the legislative assembly in the state capital Muzaffarabad.

The central government interfered in our political system at a time when India was planning to attack, he told reporters.

Ahmeds ouster came amid a split in his Muslim Conference party.

Yaqub leads the partys breakaway faction that has the backing of the opposition including the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Raja Farooq Haider, who introduced the no-confidence motion, claimed Ahmeds government was engaged in corruption, nepotism and had also been working for the partition of Kashmir.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947.