Murad Ali Shah elected Sindh CM again

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Syed Murad Ali Shah was once again elected as the Sindh chief minister on Thursday.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, who presided over the session of the provincial legislature, announced that  PPP’s Murad Ali Shah received 97 votes, while the combined opposition’s candidate Shahryar Mahar secured 61 votes.

The election for the office of the leader of the house was held by the method of division of the house.

The house echoed with thumping of desks and loud applause as the speaker unveiled the results of the election.

The PPP won a third consecutive term in Sindh in the wake of last month’s general elections.

Out of 130 general seats in the Sindh Assembly, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had notified the results of 127 seats as the results of two seats have been withheld, while the election on PS-87 (Malir-I) was not held owing to the death of a candidate.

The PPP has majority with 97 seats in the provincial legislature, which included 17 reserved seats for women and five for minorities.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged the second largest party in the 168-house by bagging 30 general seats while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) stood third with 21 seats in the house.

The Grand Democratic Alliance’s tally in the legislature stood at 13, including two seats for women and one for minorities.

The Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), clinched two and one seats, in the house respectively.