Kashif Shoro - the new mayor of Hyderabad

PPP won 113 out of 160 UC seats, while the PTI won 41 and MQM-P boycotted the polls

HYDERABAD:

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member Kashif Shoro was nominated the mayor of Hyderabad after the PPP won 113 seats out of 160 Union Council slots.

The first mayor of Hyderabad of Sindhi descent, Shoro was born and raised in Hyderabad. He was elected the ward member of Qasimabad, one of the taluks of the Hyderabad district. In the same year, Shoro was elected one of the youngest chairman of any Municipal Committee in Sindh.

“At first glance, you’ll think him a shy and a serious person,” commented one of his voters, Aftab Ahmed, adding that the Shoro “delivered” in Qasimabad and was witnessed working day and night.

Shoro’s name surfaced as the mayor of Hyderabad soon after the local body elections when the PPP won majority seats.

“It is the first time the PPP’s mayor will lead Hyderabad. We will serve the people of Hyderabad who have shown trust in the PPP,” Shoro told The Express Tribune.

In his message PPP Chairperson and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “The people have expressed faith in the PPP".

“Now let’s go win the next round and get going with what we do the best, serving the people. A special thank you to Hyderabad and Karachi for trusting us for the first time. I have full faith that Mr Shoro and Mr Wahab will be the first but not the last PPP mayors of our two great cities.”

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Out of 160 UCs, the PPP has won 113 seats, becoming the single largest party in the council and could easily elect Shoro as the party’s first mayor. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 41 seats.

The opponent political party, the Muttehida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) boycotted the LG elections, giving leeway to the PPP to win.

With over 2.2 million people in the district, Shoro has to cater to issues such as providing potable water, fixing poor infrastructure and creating recreational means for the people of Hyderabad.

“We will fix what this beautiful city deserves,” Shoro told The Express Tribune.

“I know the major issues of Hyderabad,” he added, maintaining that his party leadership trusted him to lead Hyderabad.

Shoro’s elder brother Jam Khan Shoro is Sindh’s Irrigation Minister and has been involved in local politics since a young age.

“Shoro’s brothers are politically active in Hyderabad and hardly give space to any political or nationalist party,” Ahmed commented, adding that they were the indigenous people of Hyderabad.

The PPP leader completed his master’s degree in Economics from the University of Sindh. He has vast political and social experience, and his family has strong connections in Hyderabad, Jamshoro and other suburbs.