Pakistani cabinet resigns as part of plans to appoint smaller cabinet in order to reduce government spending

Pakistan's ministers on Wednesday submitted their resignations to the prime minister as part of plans to appoint a smaller cabinet in order to reduce government spending at a time of economic crisis.

"Today's meeting is going to be the last meeting of the present cabinet," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told more than 50 ministers, as government officials said the ministers tendered their resignations to Gilani and that the new cabinet would be announced within four days.
"The size of the new cabinet will be smaller than this one," Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told state-run television. "It was a demand from the opposition to cut the cabinet size and the People's Party government listened to the voice of the masses and opposition."

A government official told AFP that the cabinet would be formerly dissolved after President Asif Ali Zardari accepts the resignations.