KARACHI, Pakistan: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Syed Murad Ali Shah was elected on Friday as the new Sindh Minister after 88 lawmakers in the Provincial assembly voted in his favour.
Murad Ali Shah’s only rival Khurrum Sher Zaman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) received three votes.
The Opposition party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) didn’t part in the election whereas Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) decided to remain neutral during the election.
Earlier, the voting took place at the provincial assembly for the new Sindh Chief Minister to succeed Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
Four candidates including PPP’s Syed Murad Ali Shah, Dr. Sikandar Mandrio, Jam Mahtab Dahar and PTI’s Khurrum Sher Zaman had filed nomination papers on Thursday for election for the post of Leader of the House in Sindh Assembly.
The PPP’s Dr. Sikandar Mandrio and Jam Mahtab Dahar had submitted their nomination papers as covering candidates and later they withdrew their candidature.
The election was held to fill the seat became vacant after Syed Qaim Ali Shah tendered his resignation on July 27 as the Sindh Chief Minister after serving for almost eight years.
Except PTI, no other political party in the Sindh assembly including the second largest party in the House MQM fielded its candidate for the post.
The 54-year-old Syed Murad Ali Shah hails from Jamshoro and is a son of Syed Abdullah Shah, the former Chief Minister of Sindh province. He is a graduate of the Stanford University from where he received MSc degrees in economic systems and civil structure engineering. In 1986, he gained a BE Civil Engineering degree from the NED University.
Prior to his election as the Sindh Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah served as Finance Minister in Syed Qaim Ali Shah’s Cabinet.
