KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Rana Ansar, held the initial round of talks on Saturday to choose a candidate for the caretaker provincial chief executive.
The meeting occurred at the Sindh CM House, where the two leaders exchanged congratulations for the successful completion of the Sindh Assembly’s constitutional term. However, neither side disclosed any names for the interim CM.
A spokesperson for the Sindh CM stated that both leaders agreed to reconvene the next day to further discuss the issue.
On August 11, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori endorsed the summary sent by CM Murad, which requested the dissolution of the provincial assembly.
“The summary for the dissolution of the Sindh Provincial Assembly has been signed,” the governor announced in a post on the microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
It is noteworthy that the PPP had deliberated on the names of Justice (R) Maqbool Baqir and former Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah for the esteemed position, while the opposition had also deliberated on several names for the role, including Dr Safdar Abbasi, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi, Shoaib Siddiqui, and Younus Dagha.
Following the meeting, Murad Ali Shah addressed a press conference, expressing gratitude to the provincial cabinet for their unwavering support during challenging times.
“In August 2018, undemocratic measures were taken by the federal government and the opposition in the Sindh Assembly,” CM Murad lamented. “However, PPP and my cabinet stood by me. We navigated through difficult circumstances.”
He also criticized former Prime Minister Imran Khan for ‘disowning the Sindh government.’ The CM added that the federal government at the time and the provincial opposition made it arduous to manage the affairs of the Sindh Assembly.
consensus regarding the caretaker chief minister
Furthermore, CM Murad clarified that if a consensus regarding the caretaker chief minister’s name was not reached with the opposition leader, the matter would be referred to the provincial assembly’s parliamentary committee. If a decision could not be reached within the committee, the provincial election commission would then designate the interim chief minister.
He confirmed that he would continue to serve until a caretaker CM was appointed.
Meanwhile, in a conversation with Geo News, Rana Ansar mentioned that neither she nor the chief minister had proposed any names for the caretaker CM position.
“The Sindh Chief Minister mentioned that he is consulting with his leadership about the selection,” Ansar stated, also noting that she was engaging with opposition parties for consultations on the matter.
The two are scheduled to meet again on 13 August.
