KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly session was prorogued on Monday without taking up any business on the agenda after newly elected member, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syed Ameer Ali Shah, took oath as a lawmaker.

The MPA, who had won PS-52 by-polls in Umerkot after defeating former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, vowed to remain loyal to the party till his last breath.

The constituency in Thar had fallen vacant after the death of his father Syed Ali Mardan Shah who died of cardiac arrest in January last year.

He started his speech with recitation of Naat, saying that it was his late father’s wish and expressed gratitude for his party leadership and people of his constituency for reposing trust in him.

Ameer Shah said that he would stand by his people and party leadership till his last breath.

“I will remain a true worker of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the way my late father Syed Ali Mardan Shah was to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” he added.

Greeting the newly-elected MPA, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah paid tribute to Syed Ali Mardan Shah saying the late lawmaker remained loyal to PPP throughout his life and now his son had reached the assembly.

“The PPP will also win by-polls to be held in Sanghar and Malir and will continue to serve people of Sindh,” he added.

Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh said that defeated candidate Arbab Ghulam Rahim was holding Prime Minister Imran Khan responsible for his defeat.

“This victory shows peoples’ confidence in the PPP,” he said.

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Antiquities Syed Sardar Shah said that Ameer Shah’s victory was a continuation of PPP’s successes.

Ali Mardan Shah stood firmly by the party throughout his life and they hoped his son Ameer Shah too would follow in his footsteps, he said.

Minister for Information and Technology Taimur Talpur said that entire Sindh was a stronghold of PPP and would remain so in future as well.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2021