Consultative session for interim CM inconclusive

A consultative meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Rana Ansar, ended inconclusively as they failed to reach a consensus on the caretaker chief minister.

"A subsequent session has been arranged between them for tomorrow, where they will delve into the crucial matter of selecting the caretaker setup," a spokesperson for CM explained.

After the meeting, Rana Ansar, a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), conveyed to the media that the deliberations on the caretaker chief minister would kick off from today (Sunday). She articulated her intent to propose a roster of names on behalf of the opposition parties during the consultative session with the chief minister.

Ansar underscored that if a consensus remained elusive between her and the chief minister, the issue would be channeled towards the parliamentary committee. "Should the parliamentary committee encounter difficulty in resolving the matter, the case will be escalated to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for a definitive verdict," she added.

The names circulating within the media sphere, include Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, former chief secretaries Mumtaz Ali Shah and Siddique Memon, former bureaucrats Shoaib Siddiqui and Younus Dagha.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2023.