Murad Ali Shah sets his priorities to serve Sindh

KARACHI: Chief Minister-elect Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he was set to implement the PPP's manifesto after his party's victory in the elections. 

This he said while delivering his inaugural speech after being elected as 29th Chief Minister of Sindh. He has been elected for the second consecutive term on Thursday.

He said Pakistan peoples Party (PPP) has won the election 2018 on the manifesto which he waved in the house and said it was based on the improvement of over social sector. 

“I am bound implement this manifesto because our people have elected us on this manifesto,” he said.

Talking about his priorities, the chief minister-elect said that the top most priority was law and order. He added that he and his predecessor, Syed Qaim Ali Shah had restored peace in the city but all over Sindh during their last governments. “Now, we have to sustain it and make the province and most peaceful are in the country because our prosperity and development lies into it,” he said.

Recalling law and order situation back in five to 10 years, Murad Ali Shah said that people used to travel in convoys on the highways because of highway robberies and the situation in Karachi was worst than the rural Sindh. 

“It was the commitment of the PPP government of 2013 which launched targeted operation and demonstrated zero tolerance against outlaws and mafias and restored peace in the city,” he said and went on saying “Oh yes! Street crime has increased in the city but this increase has been witnessed during the last two months but we would eliminate street criminals.

Police Reforms: Replying a speech of an opposition member, the chief minister-elect said that he was committed to introduce police reforms and make Sindh police most efficient, community friendly and effective force. 

“We had started capacity building of the police force in our last tenure, under that programme most modern police training in army training centers was started, over 10,000 policemen were recruited on merit, the force [police] was equipped with latest weapons and gadgets,” he said and added this kind of capacity building would be made further.

The second priority he spelt out was `water’- irrigation, drinking and industrial. He said that some people believe that the solution of overcoming water shortage lies in the construction of dams. 

“This is totally wrong; the dams are actually the names of cemented walls but their raw material is water – we don’t have water in the system and the structure of the dams would not resolve this issue,” he said and added the actual solution of water shortage lies in conservation and adaptation of most modern irrigational methods.

ELECTION OF CM:

The main business of the session was to elect new leader of the house/chief minister. The speaker announced that there were two candidates, Syed Murad Ali Shah of PPP and Shaharyar Maher for the slot of chief minister. He held the polling through division of MPAs. The MPAs who voted for Syed Murad Ali Shah were asked by the speaker to go to the lobby from Gate-1 and the members who were for Shaharyar Maher of Grand Opposition to go from Gate-2 to the lobby.

The assembly members issued vote received to each and every member by announcing their manes.

Finally, the speaker announced the election results under which Syed Murad Ali Shah won the election by bagging 97 votes while Shaharyar Maher secured 61 votes. It may be noted that 158 votes were casted in the election of the chief minister.

The speaker declared Murad Ali Shah as new chief minister of Sindh and invited him to occupy seat number one reserved for leader of the house. Thus, Murad Ali Shah became 29th chief minister of Sindh for consecutive second tenure. He told the house in his speech that his father had been MPA, minister, speaker and the chief minister and Almighty Allah has also provided him the same opportunities except speakership.

He thanked his party leadership for reposing confidence in him once again. “Inshallh I’ll serve to the people of Sindh to the best of my abilities,” he said and added people of Sindh believe in PPP that’s why they have voted it to power.

He added that PPP was bound to secure two third majority but most of our seats were snatched away and he knows how it has been done.