Sindh governor: Nasreen Jalil, Amir Chishti emerge as strong candidates

KARACHI: The final decision regarding the naming of the new Sindh governor is likely to be taken in a few days while the names of the strong candidates have emerged, citing sources, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) had forwarded five names for the Sindh governorship to the federal government.

Sources told ARY News that Nasreen Jalil and Amir Chishti have emerged as the strongest candidates for the Sindh governor’s slot among others. Sources said that Jalil and Chishti are among the non-controversial politicians who would be acceptable to all of the ruling parties.

It may be noted that it would be precedent if Nasreen Jalil is named for the position then she will become a woman governor after almost a half-century in Sindh. The wife of the first prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan late, Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, had served as the Sindh governor from 1973 to 1975.

It was learnt that MQM-P proposed the five names for the governorship including former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, senior party leader Amir Khan, Nasreen Jalil, Kishwar Zehra and Amir Chishti. The names were sent to PM Shehbaz Sharif after Rabita Committee’s nod.

The governor’s seat fell vacant after President Arif Alvi accepted the resignation of Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who resigned from the post immediately after Shehbaz Sharif took oath as prime minister on April 11.

Earlier in the day, the federal government decided to appoint former federal minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Syed Baligh-ur-Rehman as the new Punjab governor.

Well-informed sources told ARY News that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent a summary to President Dr Arif Alvi seeking the appointment of Baligh-ur-Rehman as the governor of Punjab.

This is the second time that PM Shehbaz Sharif sent a summary to President Dr Arif Alvi to remove Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema and appoint a new governor in his place.