Nilofar meets Musharraf over resignation issue: report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar, who quit last month complaining lack of backing for her from the ruling party after radical clerics issued a fatwa against her for hugging a French paratrooper, has reportedly informed President Pervez Musharraf about her reluctance to continue in the job.

Bakhtiar has not attended the office even after Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has rejected her resignation. The Minister has reportedly met President Musharraf and explained her reasons for quitting the post.

While Bhaktiar declined to answer phone calls from the media, reports here said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), whose President Shujaat Hussain has declined to back her after the fatwa was issued by clerics of Lal Masjid with whom he negotiated to end their movement to impose Sharia law in Islamabad, has began looking for a replacement.

She would be possibly replaced by Women Development Minister Sumaira Mallik. Mallik has already replaced Bakhtiar as the president of the PML-Q, womens wing.

Bhaktiar, an activist of women's rights as well as a relative of Musharraf's confidant and secretary of National Security Council Tariq Aziz, was reportedly upset that Hussain did not back her after the fatwa and some of his supporters launched a smear campaign against her. She, however, attended the recent meeting of the PML-Q leaders in the city.

Earlier, the Tourism Minister had dismissed speculation that she was asked to quit by the Prime Minister in the wake of the fatwa by the radical clerics, saying she chose to resign as she was hurt by the malicious criticism following the incident.

"French media praised my daring attempt but unfortunately some irresponsible elements in Pakistan presented this noble cause in a malicious manner," she said.