Murad Ali Shah sworn in as Sindh CM

KARACHI: After his election as chief minister of Sindh for the second term, Syed Murad Ali Shah was sworn in on Saturday in a simple but impressive ceremony held at Governor House. The oath to office was administrated by Acting Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

The provincial cabinet members were also supposed to take oath with the chief minister, but it was deferred at the last moment. “The oath-taking ceremony of cabinet members will be held either today or on Monday,” a Sindh government official said.

Giving a look at the party congregation, the ceremony was largely attended by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers and leaders, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, MPAs, Sindh chief secretary, corps commander Karachi, Director General Rangers, IG Sindh, diplomats, and representatives of the business community.



The ceremony was echoed with the party slogans: “Jeay Bhutto” and “na mir ka na pir ka, vote hai teer ka”. Many PPP workers surrounded Bilawal for selfies chanting slogans “Bibi ka beta aaya hai, phir eik umeed laya hai.”

After the ceremony, the Sindh CM left with the party chairman without talking to media.
Next step would be formation of the Sindh cabinet, and according to the sources, some names have been finalised.

“Most of the old faces are likely to return to the cabinet,” sources said, adding former information minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, labour minister Saeed Ghani, excise and taxation minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla and local government minister Jam Khan Shoro would be inducted into the cabinet.

Ismail Rahu, who parted with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and joined the PPP, is also being tipped as one of the provincial ministers or advisers along with Mumtaz Jakhrani, the late Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani’s son Shabbir Bijarani, Arbab Lutfullah Malik Asad Sikandar, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro’s daughter Nida Khuhro, minority member Rana Hamir Singh and Murtaza Baloch.

“Two tribal chieftains, who belong to Kamber-Shahdadkot district, Nadir Magsi and Sardar Chandio, have also started lobbying for getting a post in the Sindh cabinet. “This time the PPP is likely to accommodate them too,” a senior PPP lawmaker said on the condition of anonymity.

Sources privy to the development informed The Express Tribune that Dr Pechuho is likely to get the portfolio of the health ministry while information ministry might again be handed down to Nasir.

“Arbab Lutfullah, the nephew of former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim who played key role in defeating his uncle and other opponents, is also being considered for a cabinet post,” sources said, adding that Fayyaz Butt and Nawab Taimour Talpur, the son of PPP veteran Yousuf Talpur, may also be inducted.

The 18th Amendment of the Constitution restricts provincial governments to have not more than 11 per cent of the members of the provincial assemblies in the cabinet. Since the Sindh Assembly has a total of 168 members, the Constitution allows only 18 ministers and five advisers.