Not an easy job
On Friday Murad Ali Shah was elected Sindh chief minister after securing 88 out of 91 votes cast. While filing his nomination papers a day earlier the new CM had said Rangers will be given powers according to law and the constitution and not according to anyone’s wishes. In other words while the Rangers will be given special powers in Karachi, these powers may not be extended to interior Sindh. The new chief minister was thus reiterating the position PPP had taken earlier at its Dubai meeting.
Many will wait to see if there is any significant change in the working of the Sindh administration with Murad Ali Shah as chief minister. Traditionally decision making on policy matters in Sindh has been the exclusive domain of the PPP’s top leadership rather than the chief minister. This has at times created embarrassing situations for the CM. In the absence of the PPP co-chairman from Pakistan, party heavyweights in Sindh like Faryal Talpur also assumed importance that the CM could not ignore. How far Murad Ali Shah is able to assert himself remains to be seen. It was graceful on his part to call the MQM’s arrested MP Rauf Siddiqi to attend the session and go over to welcome him.
Qaim Ali Shah’s replacement by a younger and more vigorous Murad Ali Shah is supposed to have taken place at Bilawal Bhutto’s initiative who, among other things, follows an aggressive policy towards the PML-N government. The PPP is also keen to improve relations with the army. The new chief minister is likely to follow the two policies more effectively than his predecessor. Being a well-educated person with sufficient foreign exposure one expects Murad Ali Shah to be known for good governance and delivery and be more responsive to issues like the sufferings of the children in Thar, deteriorating civic conditions in Karachi and the rotting educational system in the province.
