EGYPTIAN PREMIER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26967, 30 December 1948, Page 5

EGYPTIAN PREMIER

SUCCESSOR TO NOKRASHY FORMER POLITICAL PRISONER NZPA—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 29. Ibrahim Abdul Hadi Pasha, aged 48, who in his early twenties was sentenced to death for “ revolutionary political tendencies,” last night formed a new Saadist-Liberal Coalition Government as Egypt’s Prime Minister in succession to Nokrashy Pasha, who was assassinated earlier in the day. Hadi Pasha’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he was released by political amnesty in 1924. He was a member of Nokrashy’s Government until he became chief of the Royal Cabinet—a domestic post in King Farouk’s household—early last year. The only member of Nokrashy Pasha’s Cabinet who is not included in the new Ministry is the Foreign Minister, Ahmed Khashaba Pasha, who declined to participate. The new Cabinet has been increased in size from 13 to 16. Medical Student Arrested A man was arrested by the police shortly after the assassination of the Egyptian Prime Minister, Nokrashy Pasha, yesterday morning. The name of the arrested man was given as Abdel Meguid Hassan, a medical student at Fuad University, in Cairo. The Egyptian Government radio announced that the assassin belonged to the Moslem Brotherhood organisation. Cabinet Ministers and others, who gathered in the garden outside Nokrashy Pasha’s home, broke into tears when his 12-year-old son arrived from school to receive the first news of the tragedy. King Farouk called to view the body and express his grief. Eye-witnesses said that shortly before Nokrashy Pasha’s arrival at the Ministry of the Interior building, a strongly-built young man, wearing a police • officer’s uniform, was seen standing about the . entrance of the building. Guards asked him who he was, but another policeman told them to leave him alone, saying: “ Can’t you see he is a police officer.” Nokrashy Pasha arrived by car, and when near the lift the assassin saluted the Premier, then whipped a revolver from his pocket and fired six shots. Some eye-witnesses declared that the assassin shook hands with his victim before drawing the revolver, and that the sixth bullet was fired in an unsuccessful suicide bid. Immediately after shooting a ring of police was posted around the building, and all the occupants were held for questioning. Dr Soliman Azi Pasha, former Minister of Health, was summoned, but the Prime Minister died before the doctor arrived. Nokrashy Pasha’s murder might have been in retaliation for his recent action in banning the Moslem Brotherhood. Last month the police in Cairo arrested a man alleged to have plotted the Premier’s assassination.