KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Imran Ismail took oath as the 30th governor of Sindh on Monday.

He was administered oath by Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmad Ali M. Shaikh at a ceremony held at the Governor House.

The event was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Shahid Baig Mirza, Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Rangers Director General Maj Gen Mohammad Saeed, Inspector General of Police Amjad Javed Saleemi, cabinet members, officials, diplomats, along with others.

The new governor has replaced Muhammad Zubair of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who had resigned after the general elections.

Prior to his oath-taking ceremony, Mr Ismail, who was elected as a member of the Sindh Assembly from a Karachi constituency (PS-111) in the July 25 general elections, sent his resignation as a provincial lawmaker to the speaker.

Vows to serve people of the province without discrimination

In his first media interaction after becoming the governor, he said that he would not restrict himself to a particular city as the whole province was his domain.

“My efforts would be to take all along and serve the people without any discrimination,” he said, adding: “The water problem is a pressing issue and solving it would be my top priority.”

He also gave assurance of his full cooperation to all the parties having mandate of the people.

In reply to a question, he said his efforts would be to live a simple life as per the vision of his party chief Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Earlier, he had said that he would not live in the Governor House and would continue to reside in his own house in Defence. However, he would use the office of the governor for official purposes, he added.

Murad congratulates Ismail

After the ceremony, Sindh CM Shah called on Governor Ismail and greeted him on assuming the gubernatorial office.

Expressing his gratitude, the governor said that people’s confidence in democracy could only be strengthened by taking major steps for their welfare.

He assured the chief minister that the federal government would fully cooperate with the Sindh government and he would take all possible steps to improve relations between the federal and provincial governments.

MQM-P delegation

Later, a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan comprising senior leaders Faisal Subzwari and Khwaja Izharul Hassan called on the governor.

Congratulating him on assuming the office, they said that he was already aware of the issues being faced by Karachi and rest of the province and hoped that he would utilise his best efforts to solve them.

On behalf of their party, they also assured the governor full support for any measures to be taken in the larger interest of the people.

The governor thanked the MQM delegation for their good wishes and said it augured well that every stakeholder had the spirit to work for the well-being of the province and its people.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018