Salim Raza, the governor of the Pakistan central bank, has stepped down from his post just days before the federal budget for 2010-11 is to be unveiled, Reuters reports.

Raza is the second senior official to quit this year following the resignation of finance minister Shaukat Tarin in February, raising doubts over the economy's ability to shape up in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's guidelines.

Raza had said that his decision was due to "personal reasons," but one senior government official was cited as having said that this was due to a power struggle from within the top ranks. The source, however, declined to give further details about the said tussle.

Another source had reportedly told the news service that new finance advisor Abdul Hafeez Shaikh had wanted to bring in his own team, thus, prompting the departure. The source also said that Raza is also close to reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 and will, therefore, still not be able to complete his full three-year term. He was named central bank governor in December 2008.

While his impact on the upcoming budget announcement is not too significant, his resignation only confirms the country's unpredictable financial state. The IMF has been pressuring Pakistan to make painful reforms to its financial system, including the imposition of value-added taxes and higher energy prices. The ongoing war between the US and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan is also taking a toll on its economy.