KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday tendered his resignation to Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad at Governor’s House, which the latter readily accepted by asking Mr Shah to continue working in office until his successor assumed the charge, officials said.

Governor Ibad hinted that the new chief minister would be elected by the assembly on Friday.

After the formal nomination of Syed Murad Ali Shah as the new chief minister by Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari late Tuesday evening, Syed Qaim Ali Shah arrived at Governor’s House in a fleet of cars carrying several senior members of his cabinet. The CM-designate walked with him shoulder-to-shoulder as the chief minister was received by the governor at the stairs of the imposing mansion. Others who followed them included speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani, senior minister Nisar Khuhro, home minister Sohail Anwer Sial, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Dr Sikander Mandhro, Nasir Hussain Shah, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Giyanchand and Murtaza Wahab.

“I have accepted the resignation of Syed Qaim Ali Shah from the post of the chief minister as per constitutional requirement,” said Governor Ibad after meeting with the chief minister.

“However,” he added, “I have requested Shah Sahib to continue working as the chief minister until the new chief minister takes over.”

The governor said the change of chief minister was certainly a political decision and it was part and parcel of politics, but as a matter of fact, Mr Shah faced host of challenges and hardships during his government. “Politics is the name of experience and few politicians could have achieved the experience what Shah Sahib attained.”

“We should take benefit of his experience no matter which political party or school of thought we belong to,” said Dr Ibad.

He said he enjoyed exemplary coordination between his office and CM House during both his tenures. “Mr Shah never gave in to his resolve in taking all political parties in policy matters, which is why he kept enjoying the support of all political parties,” said the governor.

“I hope the same coordination will continue in future as well,” he said, adding that the security situation that dogged Mr Shah through his eight-year rule would be the biggest challenge for the new chief minister in future.

Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said he was a party worker and would remain the same. “I have always accepted party’s decision and will do it the same in future, in all situations and in thick and thin,” said Mr Shah.

He thanked the governor for his cooperation and guidance during the past eight years.

Election schedule

The speaker of the Sindh Assembly announced the schedule for the election of the new chief minister.

According to the schedule, any member can propose or second the name of any other member to be the chief minister; nomination papers can be obtained from the Sindh Assembly secretary on Thursday and the same can be submitted back by 5pm. The office of the speaker will scrutinise the nomination papers and the list of valid nomination papers will be displayed on the notice board of the assembly secretariat at 7pm. The election will be held on Friday at 3pm.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2016

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