Hindu politician resigns from Sindh assembly; moves to India

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Jan 29 (PTI) A prominent Hindu politicianfrom Pakistan''s southern Sindh province has sent in hisresignation as a member of the legislative assembly aftermoving to India, sources said today.

Ram Singh Sodho, 66, is a leader of the oppositionPML-Q party who was allocated a seat reserved for non-Muslimsin the Sindh assembly following the 2008 elections.

He served as a member of the provincial assemblyseveral time and was advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister in1985.

Sources said Sodho, considered a progressive member ofthe minority Hindu community, had gone to India about twomonths ago for medical treatment.

Subsequently he decided to settle with relatives thereand sent in his resignation as a member of the provincialassembly, they said.

The resignation had been accepted by the Speaker ofthe Sindh assembly, reports said.

Some media reports claimed Sodho, who hails from theTharparkar area of Sindh, had left Pakistan after receivingthreats but this could not be independently confirmed.

Sodho is believed to have relatives in the Indianstates of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

His son was killed in the Bhuj area of Gujarat in adevastating earthquake in 2001.

The Hindu politician was also related to former SindhChief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, whose mother was anon-Muslim.