The new CM

Attempting to navigate a way through this maze of blockades and barriers which are essentially on fire will naturally be a difficult one for Sindh’s new CM, Murad Ali Shah. He has however expressed the resolve to set about the task the best he can and he also has the political pedigree that indicates he may possess the determination and the courage which would be required. His father Abdullah Shah was a prominent leader of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy which battled General Ziaul Haq.

But Murad’s task will be a far more arduous one. The situation in the province has declined to a point where it is hard to understand from where to begin the task of cleaning something that resembles the Augean Stables. Murad Ali Shah has stated that law and order in Karachi is a priority and for this, the stay of Rangers is likely to be extended. It is understood that the PPP co-chairperson, Asif Ali Zardari, had already given directions in this regard in Dubai. Aside from law and order, Shah has focused on education and health as areas which will be his priority. This seems to show good intention. How far it will be possible to implement his plans is a different matter given the fact that running Sindh, with its long history of poverty and deprivation, has always been a task which has thwarted leaderships. Too often, attention has remained focused on Karachi and other urban centres but not on the rural stretches of the province. Bringing all this together will be Murad Shah’s challenge.

Zainab Hayat

Karachi