Pakistan: Sindh Chief Minister holds meeting with Opposition leader to choose caretaker CM

Aug 12, 2023

Sindh [Pakistan], August 12 : Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the Leader of the Opposition in the province's Assembly Rana Ansar on Saturday held the first round of talks to pick a person for the post of caretaker Chief Minister, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. 
The meeting between the two leaders took place at the Sindh CM House. During the meeting, the two leaders congratulated each other on the completion of the Sindh Assembly’s constitutional term. However, no names were shared by either side for Sindh interim CM.
The two leaders agreed to meet again on Saturday to discuss the matter, Geo News reported citing Sindh CM spokesperson. On August 11, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori signed the summary sent by Murad Ali Shah which sought the dissolution of the provincial assembly, Geo News reported. 
In a post on Twitter, Sindh Governor stated, "The summary of dissolution of Sindh Provincial Assembly has been signed." Notably, the Pakistan People's Party discuss the names of Justice (R) Maqbool Baqir and former Sindh chief secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah for the post.
Meanwhile, the Opposition had also discussed a few names for the post which include Safdar Abbasi, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi, Younus Dagha and Shoaib Siddiqqui, as per the Geo News report. After the meeting, Murad Ali Shah addressed a press conference and expressed his gratitude to the provincial cabinet for his support. 
Murad Ali Shah said, "In August 2018, the federal government and the opposition [in Sindh Assembly] took undemocratic measures," Geo News reported. He further said, However, PPP and my cabinet supported me. I had a good time in difficult circumstances." 
Shah slammed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for "disowning the Sindh government, according to Geo News report. He stressed that the then federal government and the provincial opposition made it difficult to run the affairs of the Sindh Assembly.
Murad Ali Shah said that if he and the opposition leader do not reach a consensus for the caretaker Chief Minister, then the matter will go to the provincial assembly's parliamentary committee, Geo News reported.
However, if the matter remains undecided in the committee, then the provincial election commission will choose the name for the caretaker chief minister. He further said that he will remain in office till a caretaker CM was appointed. 
On Friday, the Sindh Assembly in Pakistan was dissolved on Friday as the province's Governor Kamran Tessori signed and gave approval to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s summary for the dissolution of the provincial legislature, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
The dissolution of the Sindh Assembly comes just days before the completion of the Sindh Assembly's five-year tenure, which began on August 13, 2018. Earlier this week, the Pakistan National Assembly was also dissolved before the completion of its term.