Pak’s jailed Hindu leader takes oath for one day

Peshawar, May 27

An imprisoned minority leader in Pakistan, who is facing trial in the murder case of a Sikh lawmaker, was today administered oath as a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, a day before dissolution of the provincial legislature.

Baldev Kumar of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was administered the oath on the orders of the Peshawar High Court. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will be dissolved on May 28 after completion of its mandated period.

Speaker Asaq Qaisar administered the oath to Kumar who is presently in jail facing murder charges of Sardar Soran Singh, a Sikh lawmaker from PTI and the special assistant to the chief minister who was shot dead in April 2016 in Buner district. He was elected to the provincial assembly on a minority seat.

After Singh’s murder, Kumar was declared MPA-elect by the Election Commission of Pakistan. However, he has been in jail since 2016 with the seat lying vacant. — PTI