Islamabad, June 26
After only 20 months in office, Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali today resigned capping months of strained relations with President Pervez Musharraf and nominated his party PML-Q President Chaudhury Shujat Hussain to succeed him.
Sixty-year-old soft-spoken Jamail, who became Prime Minister in November 2002 after the country’s return to the civilian rule and was a strong supporter of dialogue with India, dissolved his Cabinet and asked all ministers and advisors to quit their posts immediately.
Addressing his party MPs and other leaders, he said he had been given the “authority and clearance” to recommend his
successor and he has nominated Mr Hussain for the post and requested the allied parties to support him in the National Assembly.
Mr Hussain will seek a vote of confidence in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Mr Jamali said Mr Hussain’s name had been endorsed by President Musharraf as the new Prime Minister.
Mr Jamali did not give his resignation letter to Mr Musharraf, but chose to given it to Mr Hussain at a press conference televised by state-run PTV.
— PTI
