KARACHI: Previous chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is predicted to be the Pakistan Peoples Party’s choice for the new leader of the house, it was revealed on Monday. The PPP is poised to establish the next government in Sindh for a record-breaking fourth time.
Party insiders stated that Mr. Shah’s selection as the province’s chief executive was now certain, even though the PPP has not yet made an official declaration naming the incoming chief minister.
The names of Mr. Zardari’s sister, Faryal Talpur, ex information minister Sharjeel Memon, and ex local government minister Nasir Shah were first in the running for the position, they said, but Murad Ali Shah’s name emerged as the front-runner.
They added that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in particular, the leader of the party, was completely happy with his work, particularly during and after the province’s historic floods and Covid-19 pandemic.
The first Sindh chief minister to be elected was Mr. Shah in 2016. Following the 2018 general elections, his party put him forward for the coveted position.
With the allotment of reserved seats, the Peoples Party’s numerical strength will increase to 112 from its comfortable majority in Pennsylvania.
After being victorious in the 2008, 2013 and 2018 national elections, the PPP had previously formed the government of Sindh.
PPP-Sindh president Senator Nisar Ahmed Khurho told Dawn that the party leadership would name its candidate for chief minister a few days before to the newly elected assembly’s session.
Regarding the nomination of the new head of the house in the provincial assembly, he refuted any lobbying or organization.
Party standing in the Sindh Assembly
Following the PPP’s 87 seats, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan took second place with 28 seats, followed by the Grand Democratic Alliance and Jamaat-i-Islami with two seats each, and 11 independents supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. The general elections on February 8 were held for 130 seats in the Sindh Assembly.
With a sizable majority in the house, the PPP may nominate its own speaker, deputy speaker, and chief minister without the help of any other party.
The PPP will receive 19 and 6 seats designated for women and minorities, respectively, based on its numerical strength, bringing its total elected members to 112 in the 168-member provincial parliament.
The Election Commission of Pakistan’s criteria for allocating provincial assembly seats designated for women and minority groups states that two reserved seats are given to a party’s listed members for every nine MPAs from that party.
Similar to this, listed members receive a reserved seat for minority groups for every 14 MPAs from a political party.
As the second-largest party in the provincial assembly, the MQM-P will receive two or three minority seats and six allocated seats for women.
Additionally, a party that receives support from the 11 independent MPAs sponsored by the PTI would be awarded three seats set aside for women and one minority seat.
After a draw among the two parties, one of the two GDA of the JI, which each received two seats in the provincial legislature, will receive the one reserved seat for women.
According to ECP sources, the designated places would be assigned following the official notification of the successful candidates by the ECP.
They declared that the nominees would remain independent nominees in the assembly and that they would have three days to join any of the parties in the legislature. If they failed to do so within that time frame, they would not be allowed to enter.
According to the sources, the ECP was required by the constitution to notify the selected candidates within a 14-day period.
They added that following the notice, the governor would call the assembly’s first meeting, during which the newly elected members would take an oath and choose the speaker in accordance with assembly norms by a secret ballot.
The outgoing speaker or, in the event of his absence, the governor’s nominee will preside over the assembly’s session to elect a new speaker.
The assembly will choose a deputy speaker right away following the selection of the speaker.
Without holding a debate, the assembly will choose a member to serve as chief minister after electing the speaker and deputy speaker.
According to well-informed sources, the governor will likely call the newly elected assembly members’ first meeting the day after the ECP notification was released.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
