ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday removed Privatisation Minister Senator Ghaus Bux Mehr from his portfolio but the senator insisted that he had handed his resignation to his party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on October 31. Sources said the minister was displeased with the Sindh People's Local Government Act 2012.Mehr, a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid senator who belongs to Shikarpur, told TheNation that he had differences with the PPP Sindh leaders and when his party leadership could not address those issues, he resigned. He protested over the notification of his removal from the cabinet slot by the prime minister, saying that he had resigned on October 31 but Shujaat barred him from making public his decision. He grumbled about the impression given by the prime minister that he was removed from his post.After the issuance of notification of his removal from the ministerial slot, Mehr held a meeting with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and lodged his protest over the issue.Sources said that Shujaat expressed his displeasure over prime minister's move and assured Mehr that he would take up the matter with President Asif Ali Zardari.He also assured him that all the issues of his constituency would be resolved to his satisfaction and asked him to stay calm.Mehr told TheNation that he was not joining any party and would soon be returning to his home town where, after consultation with his loyalists, he would decide about his political future.To a question, he said that he had told his party leadership about the highhandedness of the PPP leaders of Sindh with him and the matter was discussed with the PPP leadership but to no avail. Finally, he said, he left with no choice but to tender resignation.Shehryar Mehr, son of Ghaus Bux Mehr, had already resigned from the Sindh Cabinet for being left out on various issues.According to sources, people close to Mehr family were victimised and some of them had to lose their jobs for their allegiance with Ghaus Bux Mehr.Some close associates of Ghous Bux Mehr said that the PPP Sindh chapter was pressing Mehr to join their ranks and on refusal, the Sindh government made life difficult for his associates. PML-Q sources said that Mehr quit the ministry and the party due to the strong opposition of the Sindh People's Local Government Act 2012 in interior Sindh.They said that on a number of occasions Mehr had asked the party leadership to press the PPP to withdraw the ‘controversial act’, otherwise leave the coalition. According to sources, Mehr was in contacts with the PML-N and the PML-F leadership as both the parties were eager to have him on their side but he kept his options open and would take final decision after consulting his associates.