Awan made the surprise announcement at a televised cabinet meeting but Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani later persuaded her to withdraw resignation.
“The prime minister tore down my resignation and asked me to continue my work,” Awan told reporters after the cabinet meeting .
Teary-eyed Awan had delivered an emotional speech in the cabinet meeting, and had criticised the policies of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). She went on to say that she still supports and is aligned with the PPP.
Addressing Gilani, Awan had said: “While endorsing your leadership, I don’t think I can continue as a member of the cabinet. With your permission, I would like to submit my resignation.”
She had said that she does not need to be part of a ministry which poses problems for the party and does not consider herself worthy of fulfilling her role as a minister any longer.
“I endorse your leadership (but) I think I am not competent enough to continue as cabinet member and hence submit my resignation,” Awan said at the cabinet meeting.
She did not cite any other reason behind her move, however certain reports suggest that Prime Minister Gilani had asked her to resign for her failure to defend effectively the government policies.
It was not immediately clear if she was forced to resign or if she had proposed to quit voluntarily as some analysts say Awan may have been forced to resign due to her failure to convincingly defend the government in the Memogate scandal.
Following Sherry Rahman and Qamar Zaman Kaira, Awan is the third information minister who resigned from this slot during PPP government’s four-year rule.
Previously, Pakistan’s newly appointed Ambassador to the United States Rehman had also submitted her resignation as the information minister in March 2009 over the government’s handling of the media, and won kudos from the press for taking a stance on the issue.
