Sindh Assembly Elects: Qaim Ali Shah as 23rd Chief Minister  
'Pakistan Times' Sindh Bureau

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly elected Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate Syed Qaim Ali Shah as 23rd Chief Minister of Sindh on Monday.

Qaim Ali Shah, who became member of Sindh Assembly for the sixth time in the recent elections – was elected unopposed for the position of Sindh CM. As many as 90 MPAs participated in the process of Sindh CM’s election.

Qaim Ali Shah also served as CM Sindh in 1988, federal minister in 1970 and as leader of opposition in provincial assembly in 1990.

He earned his graduation as well as law degree from University of Karachi and became a lawyer.

Earlier today, Syed Qasim Ali Shah was elected as Leader of the House with 90 votes in favour.

With this, he was elected as new Chief Minister of Sindh in a special session held under the chairmanship of Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro this evening, for ascertainment of a person having the confidence of the Assembly to be the Chief Minister of Sindh.

The session was held sans MQM, PML(F), PML(Q) and NPP while those present in the house included 88 MPAs belonging to PPP and two belonging to ANP.

Earlier a number of members submitted motions expressing their confidence in Syed Qaiim Ali Shah as Chief Minister of Sindh.

Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro jointed all the motions together and put before the House which was carried unanimously.

All the 90 members present in the House including 88 belonging to PPP and two to ANP voted in favour of the motion and Speaker Nisar Khuhro declared Qaim Ali Shah elected as Chief Minister of Sindh.

Thereafter a number of MPA moved and greeted Syed Qaim Ali Shah on his unanimous election as Chief Minister of Sindh. However, Speaker Nisar Khuhro kept asking the MPAs to go back to their seats.

Later felicitation speeches were delivered by a number of MPAs who included Jam Tamachi, Rafiq Engineer, Ghullam Qadir Chandio and others.

In their speeches they said the PPP government will be faced with enomrous challenges in view of deteriorated conditions in almost every sector of life including health, education, roads, forests, irrigation water.

They hoped that the new Chief Minister will promote good governance to face these challenges and to solve the problems of people and in this regard the “sifarish” culture will have to be erased and best possible officials posted to achieve the desired results.

They said water of Sindh is being stolen, Thar coal not being explored and there is deterioration in every other sector like health, education, forests etc.

He said the new government will have to work with great sagacity and carefulness so as to come up to the expectations of people.

They said we are proud of the capabilities of Syed Qaim Ali Shah and hoped that he will act in a manner so that not only people of Sindh but of entire country may feel proud of him.

CM's Oath Today

Sindh’s Chief Minister-elect, Syed Qaim Ali Shah will take oath of office of Chief Executive of Sindh province at an oath-taking ceremony to be held here at Governor House today, Tuesday.

Sindh Governor, Dr. Ishrat- ul- Ebad Khan will administer the oath.

An earlier report said that Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who won the vote of confidence from Sindh Assembly for the second time to be 23rd Chief Minister of Sindh was born in Khairpur in 1935 and had his early education from there.

Shah is an important personality of the Jilani family of Khairpur. He had his graduation and then did LL.B from Karachi and joined the legal profession.

He remained Chairman District Council during the era of President Ayub Khan and joined PPP in 1967 along with founder members.

He became Chief Minister of Sindh in 1988. He could not won a seat in 1997 but was elected as Senator. He was elected to Sindh Assembly for the sixth time.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah remained a minister during the government of Z.A.Bhutto.

He suffered jails terms during the tenures of General Zia-ul-Huq, Jam Sadiq Ali and Liaquat Ali Jatoi.

Details

PPP’s unopposed Speaker-elect, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro took oath as 14th Speaker of Sindh Assembly for a five-year term.

Outgoing Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah administered the oath to Nisar Khuhro who then occupied the Speaker’s chair after putting on the Speaker’s robe.

Thereafter, Speaker Nisar Khuhro then administered oath to Shehla Raza as Deputy Speaker.

The two took oath in the absence of MQM legislators who boycotted the session in protest to violence against former Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

After taking oath, they were profusely greeted by visitors in the galleries with slogans of “Jiay Bhutto” while Assembly members greeted them with thumping of desks.

They were felicitated by a number of MPAs including Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Dr. Sikandar Mahendro, Jam Tamachi and others.

They hoped that as Speaker he will take all the MPAs and parties along with all impartiality and help solve the problems of the Province and its people.

They said that after Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, he can prove his true replacement and hopefully the Assembly will be conducted on time and carry out practical business.

They suggested an early construction of new Hall of the Assembly Building.
Nisar Khuhro is a close comptariot of late Chairperson PPP Benazir Bhutto and has remained President PPP Larkana Division.

Shehla Raza has also been an active political worker of PPP and during her studentship was President Peoples Students Federation.

In the 71-year history of Sindh Assembly, it was for the second time that Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected unopposed. It was in 1986 when Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected unopposed in the PPP’s colaition government with MQM.

The session for the purpose of oath-taking by new Speaker and Deputy Speaker was summoned to meet at 9:30 a.m. but the proceedings could start only at 12:15 P.M. with recitation of Holy Quran and Naat.

Srict security arrangements had been made outside and inside the Assembly building in view of unhappy incidents on the occasion of oath-taking by newly elected MPAs on Saturday.

A large number of police and rangers had been posted to ward off any ugly situation like that on Saturday.

Sindh Assembly had cancelled all passes issued for visitor’s galleries and did not issue fresh passes.

However, a large number of PPP workers broke the security cordon and entered the Assembly building.

All the vehicles entering the Assembly premises were being checked by security personnel deployed at the main gate of the Assembly building.

The Assembly session started at 12:25 P.M. when Speaker Muzaffar Shah occupied the Speaker’s chair and proceedings commenced with recitation of Holy Quran and then Naat.

After recitation of Holy Quran and Naat, the house plunged into pendamonium with scenes of scuffles in the Speaker’s gallery and unabated slogan raising against Arbab Rahim and of Jiay Bhutto from visitor’s galleries when Arbab Rahim entered the House.

On the occasion Pir Mazharul Huq took the mike and he was speaking something which remained unaudible because of huge noise from galleries.
After speeches of felicitations, Speaker Nizar Ahmed Khuhro prorogued the House.

Meanwhile, President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Monday contacted Sindh Governor, Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and expressed their grief over the incident which took place at Sindh Assembly today.

They described such incidents as against democratic norms and ordered immediate inquiry into the same.●