The PAS central committee did not go against the Syura Council in its unanimous decision yesterday to withdraw support for embattled Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Syura Council secretary Nik Muhammad Zawawi Nik Salleh said the initial decision to back  Khalid was made while he was still a PKR member.

"We did not reject Khalid. Now, as he is no longer a (PKR) member, we (PAS), as part of Pakatan Rakyat, must stand with Pakatan's stance, which no longer sees Khalid as part of Pakatan," Nik Muhammad is quoted as saying by Sinar Harian today.

The Syura Council on Aug 7 endorsed Khalid as menteri besar despite a bid by PKR to replace him with party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Two days later, PKR sacked Khalid from the party for defying its instruction to resign as menteri besar.

Meanwhile, PAS central committee member Nasrudin Hassan also played down claims that the central committee had gone against the powerful Syura Council, which comprise top ulama.

A separate report in Sinar Harian quotes Nasrudin as saying that yesterday's central committee decision was made jointly with the members of the Syura Council.

"I was among the members who made the decision to nominate two names from PKR (to replace Khalid)," said Nasrudin who is also a member of the Syura Council.

He reiterated that PAS would remain in Pakatan.