UMERKOT, Aug 1 Rana Chandar Singh, a former federal minister and legislator from Umerkot, died in Karachi on Saturday. He was 78.

Mr Singh had been suffering from paralysis since 2004 and was under treatment at a private hospital in Karachi for the last few months.

He was born in village Rana Jagir, Umerkot district, in 1931.

He was an ardent supporter of the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and joined the People's Party in its infancy.

But he left PPP in 1990 and founded the Pakistan Hindu Party.

He designed for the party a saffron flag bearing two ancient logos symbolising Hinduism — Om and Trishool.

Life came to a halt in a number of towns in Thar region as word spread of his death.

Pir Pagara, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Jam Madad Ali, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, Minister of State Faqir Jadam Mangrio and Razzaq Rahemo have sent condolences to his son.

The body of Mr Singh arrived in his native village Rana Jagir from Karachi late in the evening. Last rites will be held on Sunday.