PPP's Murad Ali Shah is seeking the coveted seat for the third time, while the MQM-P has fielded Ali Khurshidi as its candidate.
KARACHI: After half an hour of delay, the Sindh Assembly on Monday began voting to elect the next provincial chief minister and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) candidate Murad Ali Shah is all set to retain the coveted seat for the third time. consecutive time.
At the start of today's session, Speaker Awais Qadir Shah administered oath to newly elected Sindh Assembly member Nadir Magsi, who could not take oath on Saturday with the rest of the legislators.
The election for the chief executive of the province will be held through open voting and those supporting PPP's Shah and MQMP's Khurshidi will have to go to the right and left of the assembly hall respectively.
Commenting on the electoral process, the Speaker noted that the doors of the assembly will remain closed and no member will be allowed to leave the House until the voting is over.
Shah, as the PPP candidate for the province's highest office, is certain to win the election against Ali Khurshidi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) due to the majority his party enjoys in the provincial legislature.
It may be noted that Shah served twice as chief minister of Sindh, from 2016 to 2018 and then from 2018 to 2023. This will be the third time he will hold the same position if elected.
Shah's nomination papers were filed by Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Saleh Shah and Naeem Kharal on his behalf a day earlier.
Khurshidi, on the other hand, was a member of the MQM-P provincial assembly from 2018 to 2023. He was elected again from PS-119 (West IV), with 22,424 votes.
Although the PPP has the majority in the Sindh Assembly to elect its CM, the MQM-P decided to field its candidate as a formality to not allow Shah to be elected unopposed, a party spokesperson said.
The 38-year-old MQM-P candidate has been elected to the Sindh Assembly seat from Orangi Town for the second consecutive time. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Electronics from Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in 2007.
Khurshidi was elevated to the post of parliamentary leader by his party during the assembly.
A day earlier, the assembly elected PPP's Syed Awais Qadir Shah and Anthony Naveed as the new president and vice president as a majority of legislators voted for them.
Today's session will be convened by newly elected Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah and he will also supervise the CM elections.
