Top IUML leader dies at 73

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Panakkad Syed Muhammadali Shihab Thangal,73,died in a private hospital in North Keralas Malappuram district on Saturday. According to party sources,Thangal was admitted to the hospital after he slipped and fell down at his home on Saturday morning. The burial is scheduled to be held at the Panakkad Juma Masjid on Sunday.

Thangal,one of the leading political and spiritual figures in the state,was the IUML chief since 1975. He played a crucial role in the formation of the Congress-led coalition UDF in which his party is an ally. Thangals father,P S M Pookkoya Thangal,was also president of the IUML.