Murad Says Integrity, Stability Of Country, Improving Law & Order Top Priority Of Sindh Govt

The newly elected Chief Minister Sindh Sayed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that integrity and stability of the country will be top priority of Sindh government

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Feb, 2024) The newly elected Chief Minister Sindh Sayed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that integrity and stability of the country will be top priority of Sindh government.

The operation against dacoits in Kacha area, and action for street crime in cities would be expedited, he said while addressing Sindh assembly session after being elected as leader of the House third time.

"We need cooperation from both sides of the House for smooth working of the government, " Shah said.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is the future of the country and next time, he will be the Prime Minister,

Murad Shah hoped. The Sindh Assembly earlier, on Monday elected Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) candidate, Murad Ali Shah, as the chief minister of Sindh. Sayed Murad Ali Shah thanked PPP and its top leadership for choosing him for the top slot.

"I have been chosen for the third time for leading the province and I have been elected as the member of this House for the fifth time," he said

Recalling his early days in politics, Murad Shah said that after his father encouragement, the PPP leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, during in exile period, encouraged him to take part in the polls.

He recalled the "time" when talks of his arrest were on the rise but Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that "Murad will be my CM from jail" if he is sent to prison.

"PPP will not play with the security of this country for just a few seats that were taken away from us. Instead, we will fight a legal war for them," he added. The CM-elect said that there had been big terrorist incidents in the last six months, but the new government will have a special focus on improving peace and security. He said action will be taken to

get rid of dacoits in Kacha areas of Sindh.

Speaking about Bilawal's determination, Murad recalled the catastrophic floods in Sindh in 2022, saying that PPP chairman had tasked him to prepare a plan to house the displaced people.

"I thought Bilawal is a young politician, he will forget about it, but he asked me right on the next morning about the plan," he said. He then lauded PPP founder Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, saying that if anyone has the credit for making Pakistan a nuclear state, it was the former premier. He prayed for courage to run the province and the ability to bring all parties and opposition in harmony while dealing with provincial affairs.

Earlier, the election for the province's chief executive began after half-an-hour delay via an open ballot with those supporting Murad Ali Shah and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Ali Khursheedi.

A total of 148 members of the assembly participated in the polling, which saw Murad Ali Shah securing 112 votes to become the 25th chief minister of Sindh in the contest against MQM-P Ali Khursheedi, who got only 36 votes.

Following Murad's election as the Leader of the House, PPP stalwart Sharjeel Inam Memon congratulated him and the new speaker and deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly, as well as party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for leading a successful election campaign.

Jamat-e-Islami (JI) MPA Muhammad Farooq said in his speech in the assembly that Murad is as much JI's CM as he is of the province, expressing hope that he will take all the parties along. He said that he is the only MPA from JI in the House but he will keep pointing out the issues in the province through his voice.

Former Sindh chief minister and senior politician Sayed Qaim Ali Shah said that everyone can see the work of the party that had done in Sindh.

"Bilawal Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur keep asking the MPAs about what have they done. Even if the leadership is satisfied with the performance, it calls for more work," Qaim Ali Shah added.

He said that no one could imagine that electricity will be generated with coal.

He further said that Bilawal had made the right choice by nominating Murad Shah as the CM.

MQM-P MPA Abdul Waseem congratulated the new CM and expressed hope that newly elected assembly would resolve the people's issues. "We all need to respect the elected members and resolve the problems. I hope, Murad Ali Shah will live up to people's expectations," he said.

PPP MPA Sardar Shah also congratulated Murad on his election as the chief minister, saying that it was a great honour to serve the post for the third time which his father once served. MQM-P MPA Iftikhar Alam also congratulated Murad Shah on his success and expressed hope that new government will work for Sindh's rural and urban areas without discrimination. He hoped that new government will transfer the powers to the grassroots level.

Meanwhile, MPA Muhammad Bakhsh Mehar while extending congratulations, requested Syed Murad Shah to give special attention to security situation in Ghotki.

Former speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, Faryal Talpur and other PPP leaders also spoke during the session and pledged to work for the province with good intentions.

Earlier, speaker Awais Qadir Shah administered the oath of newly-elected Sindh Assembly member Nadir Magsi, who was unable to take his oath on Saturday.