KARACHI, Jan 30: The Election Commission has notified Cheetan Mal Arwani as MPA on a minority seat fallen vacant after the resignation of Ram Singh Sodho of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Dawn has learnt. Sindh Provincial Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch told Dawn on Sunday night that Cheetan Mal Arwani had been notified because his name was next to Mr Sodho in the list of candidates submitted by the PML-Q to the commission on the eve of general elections of February 2008.

Earlier, Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro told Dawn that he had sent the resignation for notification to the Election Commission. Cheetan Mal Arwani is from Sujawal.

Mr Khuhro said he had received the resignation from Ram Singh Sodho on Jan 26.

The resignation, which was in his own handwriting, as per rules was accepted and forwarded to the election commission for its notification, he said.

Leader of the joint opposition in the assembly Jam Madad Ali told Dawn that Ram Singh Sodho was not feeling well and had left for India a few months ago for medical treatment where his son was living.

On Jan 25 he informed him on the phone that as his health did not allow him to represent his constituency in the assembly, therefore, he had sent his resignation to the speaker with a request to accept it, he said.

In his resignation, Mr Sodho stated that he had shifted to India where he was under treatment and was not in a position to represent his constituency therefore he was submitting his resignation which should be accepted.

During the last November’s session of the assembly another MPA from his party Razzaq Rahimoo had submitted a leave application on behalf of Mr Sodho stating that he had gone for medical treatment to India and his absence from the house be granted. This leave was granted by the house.

However, the speaker stopped his salary so that no other person could collect it on his behalf.

Answering a question, he said that Mr Sodho before sending his resignation to the speaker had consulted with Sindh chapter president of the party Dr Arbab Rahim and informed him that his doctors had advised him against travelling for at least two years.

Arbab Rahim advised him to resign so that some other person could fill the seat and represent his constituency.