KARACHI: PPP’s Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday became Sindh’s 25th chief minister elected with a majority vote in the house that helped him retain the office for the third consecutive term to govern the country’s southern province.
Amid the PTI and JI boycott of the poll, Murad secured 112 votes in the race for the top provincial government office, beating MQM’s Ali Khursheedi, who saw support from only 36 legislators. He is now the second legislator after Syed Qaim Ali Shah to become the chief minister Sindh for the third time in the province history.
Soon after Murad was announced the CM Sindh for another period, lawmakers from his party chanted in favour of the PPP, its founding leader ZA Bhutto and throbbed desks.
But the PTI’s backed handful members in the house of 148 shouted chants against the CM election as the poll was underway and staged a protest in front of the speaker’s dias with placards.
In his opening address to the house soon after being elected to the CM office, Murad underlined his administration plans to govern the province successfully, pining restoring order and peace as top priority.
“Whatever I can do for the betterment of the province, I will do,” he vowed, saying that his administration will also plan to correct the street crimes issues, besides cracking down on the bandits hideouts in rural Sindh.
He further unfolded his plans with doubling the salaries of the government officials and providing the poor with a 300 units of electricity free. Besides, a healthcare l, he said, will also be provided to the public.
He also showed intentions to unite all parties and the opposition for a better execution of his government’s uplift plans and also sought help from other side of the house in this regard.
He extolled ZA Bhutto, the founding leader of the PPP and former premier, for making Pakistan a nuclear nation to fortify the south Asian republic’s defence.
He also expressed gratitude to his party’s Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, for entrusting him with responsibility. He also sought a vote for Asif Ali Zardari, contesting for the country’s president next month. Murad condemned the Israeli bombing of Gaza- Palestine and showed concerns over the Indian army’s atrocities in occupied Kashmir. He also asserted that his government will last for the five-term.
JI’s Muhammad Farooq, MQM’s Abdul Waseem, former CM Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, former Speaker, Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, Faryal Talpur and other PPP leaders also spoke during the sitting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024