NEW DELHI: Opposition MPs today [June 13] declared they no longer recognised Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as head of the Indian Government following her conviction of corrupt political practices in winning her Parliament seat. The leaders of four parties — the Socialist, the Hindu nationalist Jana Sangh, the Opposition Congress and Bharatia Lok Dal (BLD), (Peoples Party) — renounced their recognition of Mrs Gandhi as Prime Minister in a cable sent to President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. The leaders urged Mr Ahmed, the constitutional Head of State, to return immediately from a holiday in Srinagar and deal with the constitutional crisis … following Mrs Gandhi’s conviction. The cable … said: “Your absence deplorable. Constitutional crisis demands your immediate presence in Delhi”.

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Islamabad,] the Federal Government has decided to control and regulate the brain drain of qualified nurses and midwives. In pursuance of this decision, no nurse-midwife is allowed to leave the country unless she/he is in possession of a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025