Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Shehla Raza of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) were declared elected unopposed as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively, of the Sindh Assembly on Sunday. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which had announced to field its own candidates for speaker and deputy speaker, did not do so, and that led to unopposed election of PPP's nominees.
Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah after scrutinising the nomination papers of the candidates, declared Nisar Khuhro and Shehla Raza elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker unopposed. He congratulated Khuhro and Shehla Raza and wished them success.
Khuhro and Raza will take oath of their offices on Monday morning. Later, the chief minister-designate, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, talking to newsmen, welcomed the decision of the MQM to support Khuhro and Raza. He said he saw democratic process in Sindh strengthening and an atmosphere of accommodating different political views taking roots.
He said that so far no decision about the inclusion of MQM in the government had been taken. PPP MPA Dr Zulfiqar Mirza said that the MQM was likely to be accommodated appropriately. He said that if former chief minister of Sindh, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, is found guilty of any kind of wrong-doing, the matter would be dealt with according to law.
Election of the leader of the House would be carried out in the second session of the Sindh Assembly on Monday evening. The new chief minister will take oath on Tuesday at 5pm. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan will administer the oath in a special ceremony to be held at Governor's House.