ISLAMABAD, May 25: The resignation of A. N. G. Abbasi, chairman of technical committee on water resources, has not been accepted by President General Pervez Musharraf and he has been asked to complete his report without accepting pressure from anyone.

Talking to Dawn after his meeting with the president on Wednesday, Mr Abbasi said: “The meeting was very positive, and the president has directed me to continue with my work.”

The chairman of the technical committee, however, refused to comment on reasons for his resignation, nor did he respond to a question if the president had entertained the objections raised by some members of the committee.

“If there has been any dereliction on anyone’s part, it will not be repeated,” he said.

Mr Abbasi said he was going back to his office on Thursday with the aim of completing his job with honour.

He said there certainly was a deadline for completing the report, but quality of work was more important.

Sources said the president had asked Mr Abbasi to complete his report by the end of June, assuring him he could do his job with total independence.