ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Minister Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and announced to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Ramesh Kumar were also present in the meeting during which the country’s political situation was discussed. Arbab Ghulam Rahim lauded the prime minister for successful economic policies and for presenting the people-friendly budget.
After the meeting, he said that PM Imran Khan had assigned him various responsibilities including coordination with the local leadership of the party. His son Arbab Ibrahim has also joined the party.
Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan said that Arbab Ghulam’s inclusion will help the party in Sindh. It was decided to work actively to strengthen the PTI in Sindh. Dr Rahim also urged the prime minister to visit and focus on Sindh.
Political career
Arbab Ghulam Rahim was born in the Dıplo Tehsıl of Tharparkar District. He joined Liaquat Medical College at Jamshoro to study medıcine but later transferred to Sindh Medical University, Karachı. Arbab contested in the Local government election and was elected as Nazim ın the Mirpur Khas District.
He won elections as MNA four times, and as MPA from his constituency in Tharparkar district several times. He elected to the Sindh Provincial Assembly during the 2002 general elections from PS-60 constituency and was initially inducted as a provincial minister. Subsequently, he was elected as Chief Minister Sindh in 2004 and served till 2007.
After the PML-Q was defeated in the 2008 general elections, Arbab Rahim left the country to live in self-imposed exile in UAE and returned in 2013.
Arbab Rahim joined Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) before the 2018 elections contested the PS-52 (Umerkot-II) seat but lost against PPP candidate Syed Ali Mardan Shah. He also lost the by-election for the constituency in in 2021 against PPP’s candidate Syed Ameer Ali Shah.
