Sindh Assembly members to take oath today

Bringing an end to speculations, the PPP on Friday announced that it had again chosen Murad Ali Shah for the post of the Sindh chief minister while Governor Kamran Tessori convened a provincial assembly session on Saturday (today) during which the newly elected members will take oath.

Addressing the PPP Sindh parliamentary committee in Lahore, party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari further said Awais and Anthony would be their candidates for the positions of the provincial assembly speaker and his deputy, respectively.

“We will request him [Murad] to take the responsibility of this post again. However, this time around, we have to beat our own record,” he added, referring to the development work the former Sindh chief minister had carried out in the province since taking over the office in 2016 when his predecessor Qaim Ali Shah had stepped down.

He pointed out that the people of Sindh had not only made the PPP successful in the elections, but also given the party a better mandate than in the past.

He went on to acknowledge that with increased expectations from the people, the PPP was committed to addressing the pressing issues faced by the province.

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The PPP chairman noted that that the 2022 floods not only devastated several homes in Sindh, but 50% of educational institutions in the province were swept away as well.

He pledged to rebuild those educational institutions in the province.

“We understand the hardships faced by our people, especially in the aftermath of the 2022 floods. We are determined to rebuild not only the homes but also the educational institutions that form the backbone of our society," Bilawal vowed.

Earlier, rumours had surfaced that apart from Murad, the other strong contenders for the Sindh’s coveted post of the chief minister were Faryal Talpur – sister of PPP Co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari; former provincial information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon; and ex-local government minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

However, sources said Faryal was not interested in the slot.

They added that the top PPP leadership was satisfied with Murad’s performance.

Murad replaced Qaim in July 2016 and remained one of the active chief ministers of Sindh.

He continued his second tenure after the general elections in 2018 till 2023, when the interim set-up took over for the polls.

In the recent elections, Murad secured victory from PS-77 Jamshoro-I against Roshan Ali of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).

Awais emerged successful from PS-23, Sukkur–II defeating Inayatullah of the GDA.

Anthony bagged a reserved seat for minorities in the Sindh Assembly.

The announcement of key nominations marks a significant step in shaping the leadership of Sindh, and the newly appointed officials are expected to play a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced by the province.

The focus on rebuilding educational institutions underscores the party's commitment to restoring the foundations of learning and providing a brighter future for the people of Sindh.

Meanwhile, Governor Tessori convened a provincial assembly session on Feb 24 at the Sindh Assembly Building during which newly elected members will take oath.

The outgoing Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani will preside over the session and take oath from the elected MPAs.

After oath-taking of the newly elected members of the provincial legislature, schedule for election of the speaker and deputy speaker will be announced. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party has already nominated Murad Ali Shah for the slot of the provincial chief minister.

(With input from APP)