KARACHI: Syed Murad Ali Shah, a prominent member of the Pakistan Peoples Party, took the oath of office as the province’s 25th chief minister on Tuesday.
During a ceremony on the lawns of Governor House, Governor Kamran Tessori administered the oath in the evening. Several freshly elected legislators and diplomats, as well as PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and retiring caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar, were present.
Chaos reigned shortly after the oath-taking ceremony until Mr. Bhutto-Zardari and CM Shah quietly departed with their entourage of guards, who forbade even journalists from speaking with them for publication.
The chief minister took an oath to respect the obligations and responsibilities that the province’s citizens had placed in his hands. He promised to lead the province toward progress, wealth, and harmony. He swore fervently to protect the Constitution and put in endless effort to advance the province.
Chief Secretary Dr. Fakhre Alam presided over the chief minister’s inauguration.
Faryal Talpur, former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, former speaker Agha Siraj Durani, speaker of the Sindh Assembly Awais Qadir Shah, deputy speaker Anthony Naveed, former ministers and PPP MPAs Sharjeel Memon, Imtiaz Shaikh, Saeed Ghani, Sardar Shah, and Jam Khan Shoro were among those present at the oath-taking ceremony.
With 112 votes in the 168-member Sindh Assembly, he easily won the position of chief minister for a third time on Monday.
Giving the province’s cities and rural areas access to drinkable water was one of the chief minister’s top goals, Sharjeel Memon told Dawn. In addition, he said, “the CM’s primary goals will be maintaining law and order and reducing street crimes.”
