PM Shehbaz arrives in Karachi on day-long visit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday arrived in Karachi for a day-long visit, the first after being sworn in as the 23rd premier of Pakistan.

The prime minister was received on arrival by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and his cabinet. The premier, driven by Murad, visited the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, where he paid his respects.

This is the first visit of Shehbaz to the mausoleum after he took the oath of office as the prime minister on April 11. The prime minister laid a wreath at the mausoleum and also penned his comments in the visitors’ book.

The prime minister chaired a meeting at the CM House regarding development projects in Sindh and other issues. At the start of the meeting, Murad congratulated Shehbaz on his victory in the NA and assured him that the Sindh government will work closely with the federal government for the welfare of the people of the province.

During the meeting, political, economic and other issues of importance were discussed besides matters relating to the overall law and order situation and administration of the province, said a spokesperson from the CM House. 

The meeting was attended by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Miftah Ismail, Akram Durrani, Maryam Aurangzeb, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Khawaja Izhar, Kanwar Naveed, Maulana Asad Mahmood and chairperson of WAPDA, chairperson of Pakistan Railways, chairperson of National Disaster Management Authority, federal secretaries Saleh Farooqi, Aziz Aqeeli and other concerned officers.

Shehbaz is also expected to visit Bahadurabad to meet the leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The premier is accompanied by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and allied leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Maulana Asad Mehmood, Miftah Ismail, Akram Durrani and others.

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This is PM Shehbaz’s first visit to Sindh after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted in the National Assembly, giving way to Shehbaz to win the lower house’s vote of confidence.

"After three years, CM House has received an official letter for the arrival of the prime minister in the city, so the chief minister will go to receive him." said the spokesperson for CM Murad, adding that outgoing prime minister Imran Khan and his protocol staff used to visit the city without intimating chief minister about the visit, therefore latter also opted to not receive him.

"All the official meetings will be held at CM House rather than governor house because incumbent governor Imran Ismail who belongs to PTI's has not yet vacated his office," an official working in prime minister protocol said.