The Prime Minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Choudhry Sultan Mahmood, has dissolved his cabinet and said a new cabinet will be named shortly.

He did not give any reasons for his action.

However, government sources say the country's military authority was constantly pressing the Pakistani-administered Kashmir government to reduce the size of the cabinet.

One of the changes in Pakistan since the army, under General Pervez Musharraf, seized power last October has been the significant reduction in the size of provincial governments.

Even the government of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, which has a semi-autonomous status in Pakistan with its own prime minister, was not spared.

Sultan Mahmood removed six advisors from their offices towards the end of October.

Sources say Sultan Mahmood was put under pressure again when General Musharraf asked him to further reduce his 17-member cabinet during his visit to Muzaffarabad last month.

Mr Mahmood has denied any pressure from the military government and says he feels comfortable with the military rulers.

Sources within the government say that Sultan Mahmood chose to dissolve his cabinet rather than annoy his ministers by removing them.

A new, much smaller cabinet, is expected to be formed within the next couple of days.

The ruling Peoples Party came into power in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir after the general elections in June 1996.

The opposition parties in the province are also in favour of a small cabinet, saying that a huge cabinet is a burden on the impoverished state.