Murad Ali Shah sworn in as CM for third time

Newly-elected CM calls high-level meeting to review measures against street crimes

KARACHI:

Syed Murad Ali Shah was sworn in as the chief minister of Sindh for a third time at a ceremony held at the Governor House on Tuesday. Governor Kamran Tissori administered the oath of office to the newly elected chief minister at the ceremony which was attended by prominent figures including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The outgoing caretaker chief minister, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, was also present on the stage. Other notable attendees included Faryal Talpur, former CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah, former speaker Agha Siraj Durani, Speaker Sindh Assembly Awais Qadir Shah, Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, former ministers and PPP MPAs Nasir Shah, Sharjeel Memon, Imtiaz Shaikh, Saeed Ghani, Sardar Shah, and Jam Khan Shoro.

Diplomats from different countries, IG police, senior officers of Pakistan Navy and Air Force, former chief secretaries, and others were also in attendance. After the swearing-in, CM Shah interacted with his constituents and snapped selfies with them, making the ceremony a memorable event.

Soon after his oath-taking, the chief minister convened a high-level meeting to review the surge in street crimes in Karachi, and the deteriorating law and order situation in the province. The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, will be attended by IG Rifat Mukhtar Raja, AIG Karachi Khadim Hussain Rind, and officers from other law enforcement agencies.

Read Murad’s election shows continuation of policies

As per sources in the Central Police Office, CM Shah is deeply concerned about the rising law and order challenges, particularly incidents of street crime and deaths during robberies in Karachi.

The sources further indicated that Karachi police have compiled data on street crime, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom. Districts with the highest number of street crime incidents have been identified, along with records of arrests made. Moreover, data on crackdowns and operations against riverbed area dacoits across the province, including districts like Ghotki, Sukkur, Shikarpur, and Kashmore, have been prepared.

Despite claims and promises from the caretaker government to address the worsening law and order situation, the province continues to grapple with security challenges. The recent incidents of riverbed area robberies across Sindh have left the transporters community in distress.

In the first two months of this year, street criminals in Karachi have killed 29 people, including a small girl. Police will discuss strategies to curb street crime incidents and apprehend gang members in the upcoming meeting. The meeting aims to devise strategies to improve the law and order in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2024.