Photo courtesy Sindh government
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Murad Ali Shah secured a record third consecutive term as Chief Minister of Sindh on Monday, receiving 112 votes against the 36 of his opponent, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP)’s Ali Khurshidi.
Announcing the results, Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah—also of the PPP—congratulated the returning chief minister and asked him to share his views with the 148-member House.
In his inaugural speech, the chief minister thanked the PPP and its leadership for nominating him for the post. “I have been chosen for a third time to lead the province and I have been elected as the member of this House for the fifth time,” he said, recalling that he was encouraged to contest elections in 2002 by Benazir Bhutto.
Noting he was facing arrests at one point in time, he recalled that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had offered him full support, saying “Murad will be my C.M. from jail” if he were sent to prison. “The PPP will not play with the security of the country for just a few seats that were taken away from us. Instead, we will fight a legal war for them,” he vowed.
Noting the resurgence of terrorism across Pakistan over the past year, he said the new government would prioritize peace and security and eradicate dacoits from the kacha areas. He also praised Bhutto-Zardari’s determination, noting the PPP leader had tasked him with preparing a plan to house the people displaced by the 2022 floods. “I thought Bilawal is a young politician, he will forget about it, but he asked me right on the next morning about the plan,” he recalled.
Calling on all parties on the treasury and opposition benches to work with him for the welfare of the people, he prayed for the courage to run the province in a harmonious manner.
MQMP MPA Abdul Waseem, meanwhile, congratulated the new chief minister and hoped the newly elected assembly would resolve the people’s issues. “We all need to respect the elected members and resolve the problems. I hope Murad Ali Shah will live up to people’s expectations,” he said, adding the MQMP was ready to work with the PPP for the people’s welfare but would highlight any issues as a responsible opposition. MQMP MPA Iftikhar Alam, while congratulating Shah, hoped the new government would work for both Sindh’s rural and urban areas “without discrimination.”
Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq, similarly, said that despite being the only member of his party elected to the Sindh Assembly, he would keep highlighting issues in the province with his voice. He also hoped Shah would work his party, adding that the new chief minister was as much the JI’s C.M. as he was of the province.
Various PPP leaders also congratulated Shah, urging him to work to devolve powers to the grassroots levels and meet the expectations of the public.