HYDERABAD: The Nizam of Hyderabad is dead, officials said [Feb 24].

The Nizam of Hyderabad was once rated as the world’s richest man.

The seventh in his dynasty, founded in 1712 by the then Viceroy of the Moghul Emperors in South India, he had succeeded to the throne in 1911 and ruled over his princedom until 1948, when India invaded and occupied the state when he refused to accede to the Indian Union. Later the state was dismembered and merged with the adjoining Indian provinces.

The 81-year-old Nizam was taken ill four days ago and his condition worsened since last night.

The entire state of Hyderabad had been declared in a state of mourning during the early hours today when the Nizam was reported dead. The funeral will take place tomorrow with full military honours.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies in Lahore,] Begum Zahida Khaliquzzaman, Minister for Health and Social Welfare, West Pakistan, yesterday [Feb 23] said that the social workers would help the students community in solving their various problems relating to their physical, social, emotional, psychological and financial fields.

In a statement she said that a scheme to this effect had been introduced by the Directorate General of Social Welfare, West Pakistan and three schools in Lahore had been selected for the experimentation of this work.

She said the social workers would first start their work at St. Anthony High School, Government Chaujburji High School and Municipal Corporation Primary School, Gowalamandi.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017