MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 10: Eighteen supporters of Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat in the ruling Muslim Conference parliamentary party, including Legislative Assembly Speaker Sardar Siab Khalid and eight cabinet members, appeared before the media here on Friday to express their "all-out support" for the prime minister.

"We have gathered here to express our full support for and confidence in Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat," declared Syed Shaukat Ali Shah on behalf of his colleagues. The appearance was an attempt to neutralize the effect of Thursday's press conference by lawmakers of the ruling party's 'like-minded group', expressing distrust in Sardar Hayat and calling for election of a new parliamentary leader.

"All of us also repose confidence in the party's supreme head, Sardar Abdul Qayyum, and President Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan," Mr Shah said, calling upon both the leaders to resolve the crisis so that the government and the party could be run smoothly.

No one could give a satisfactory reply when a questioner asked that with only 18 legislators on his back, if the prime minister was not heading a minority government?

The MC parliamentary party also held a meeting in the afternoon, which was convened by MC supreme head Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan. The meeting was also attended by seven present members of the 'like-minded group' but the prime minister stayed away reportedly because the group had put a condition that they would not show up in his presence.