KARACHI: Pir Illahi Bakhsh, the Sind premier, having been found guilty of corrupt practices by the Election Tribunal, was disqualified from being a voter of the Sind Assembly for a period of six years. As a result … the Pir ceased to be a member of the Assembly with immediate effect and he formally resigned from the premiership on Friday [Feb 4]. His Excellency Mr Din Mohammad, the Governor, appointed the remaining two ministers of the Pir cabinet as ‘caretaker’ ministers, pending the election of the new leader by the Muslim League Party in the Sind Legislature.

Mr Hashim Gazdar, the Secretary of the Party, being away in Eastern Pakistan, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, who is the Deputy leader of the Party, has been directed by the Governor to summon a party meeting “without any avoidable delay”. It was learnt … that the Party will meet at Hyderabad on Feb 16.

The Budget session of the Sind Assembly, which was to start on Feb 14 at Hyderabad, has been postponed by three days and will now begin on Feb 17. The … decision of the Tribunal was conveyed to the Sind Governor … by its three members at the Sind Governor’s House.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2024