Murad Ali Shah re-elected Sindh chief minister

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Murad Ali Shah was re-elected chief minister of Sindh on Thursday.

He defeated the joint opposition's nominee Shahryar Mahar to claim the slot, securing 97 votes as opposed to Mahar's 61 votes.

While speaking to the House after being elected, Shah said the people of Sindh have always voted for PPP.

“When we had not come in government, even then PPP got the highest number of votes,” he said. “This time an increase of 20% was seen in PPP’s vote bank.”

He added they bagged 3.2 million votes in 2013 and now secured 3.9 million.

“The people of Sindh know which party would address their grievances.”

But there was a propaganda against PPP that the party would lose elections this time, Shah said.

“I was also criticised for paying more attention to the urban areas [of Sindh],” he added. “There are many issues but you would see change in Sindh.”

About Karachi, Shah said everything cannot be fixed in two years, but there the different would be seen.

“Have you not seen progress in Defence, Tariq Road, Saddar and other areas [of the city]?” he asked, addressing the opposition.

Re-elected to assembly 

Shah previously assumed office of Sindh chief minister in July 2016, when he replaced PPP veteran Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who has now been elected from Khairpur’s provincial seat.

During the July 25 polls, Shah won PS-80 Jamshoro I seat. 

He served as provincial minister for irrigation and finance before being appointed Sindh chief minister in 2016.

The 55-year-old completed his matriculation from St Patrick's High School, intermediate from DJ Sindh Government Science College and graduated as an engineer from NED University of Engineering and Technology. He also attended Stanford University in California on a scholarship.