Pakistani minister withdraws resignation

ISLAMABAD - Nabeel Gabol, who offered to quit as a minister Wednesday, withdrew his resignation after meeting Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, a media report said Friday.

Gabol was the state minister for shipping. He sent in his resignation and in a dramatic move immediately later 11 guards at his Karachi home were rounded up by the police.

Geo News, quoting sources, reported that Gabol met Gilani and withdrew the resignation on the prime minister’s directive.

Gilani Thursday got in touch with him on telephone and told him that he should have contacted him and the party leadership before tendering his resignation.

Soon after Gabol’s resignation, police rounded up Gabol’s 11 guards from his residence in the port city of Karachi. He said his guards have been taken away by police in a commando-style raid.

Gilani was quoted as telling Gabol that “when a raid was conducted at your home, you should have directly contacted (Interior Minister) Rehman Malik or me…”