PPP set to announce new Sindh CM

Bilawal, after reaching Karachi, takes decision
today; Murad meets Dr Ishrat; Qaim honours party’s decision; changes in cabinet likely

KARACHI: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is all set to finalise the name of Sindh’s new chief minister on Tuesday (today) following the party’s decision at a top-level meeting in Dubai on Sunday to replace Qaim Ali Shah.

Sources privy to the decisions said that a session of the provincial assembly could be summoned on July 29 (Friday) for electing the new leader of the House.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari convened a meeting of the parliamentary party at 8:00pm on Tuesday (today) at the Bilawal House where Qaim Ali Shah would submit his resignation.

Sindh Senior Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has been tipped as the new Sindh CM. However, names of some other senior parliamentarians of the party are also being cited for the top slot of the Sindh government.

Some other changes in the provincial government are also likely as the Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani might become the minister for local government, a position he had held in the previous provincial cabinet.

Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Minister for Environment, could be the new speaker of the Sindh Assembly.Senior Minister for Education and Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro could be given the slot of either home or finance.Mir Nadir Khan Magsi is likely to rejoin the provincial cabinet as food minister, a portfolio he had in the previous provincial government.

Jam Khan Shoro, the Minister for Local Government, could be given the charge of Prisons Department.It is likely that 50 percent of the new provincial cabinet would comprise newcomers including three women MPAs, Rubina Sadaat Qaimkhani, Shaheena Sher Ali and Irum Khalid, as ministers or advisers.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah returned from Dubai on Monday after attending the top-level meeting of the PPP.

Talking to newsmen at the airport, the CM said that he would accept whatever decision the party had taken. The CM said that it was for the people to judge how he performed as the Sindh chief minister.

Shah said that he was in no hurry to meet the Sindh governor (to tender his resignation). Later, Qaim Ali Shah met some provincial ministers, special assistants and other aides at the Chief Minister’s House to inform them about the decisions taken at the PPP meeting.

He said he was fully satisfied with the decisions of the party. Earlier, Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah also reached Karachi along with provincial minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla and a PPP MPA Imdad Pitafi.

Talking to newsmen at the Karachi Airport, Murad Ali Shah said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had convened an important meeting of the party in Karachi on Tuesday, which would take some important decisions.

He said that the summary to extend special policing powers of Sindh Rangers in Karachi would be signed by the incumbent CM.

Responding to a question whether a decision had been taken to make him the new CM, the Sindh finance minister said he would accept whatever decision the leadership of the party would take.

Later, the Sindh finance minister also met Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan at the Governor’s House where the law and order issues of the province, governance matters and the ongoing development works were discussed.

Before leaving for Karachi from Dubai, Murad Ali Shah along with some other MPAs of the party met the chief of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Functional), Pir Sabghatullah Shah Rashidi (Pir Pagara), to get his blessings for the new responsibilities.