• Both sides exchange ‘too many’ names for interim set-up in Sindh
• Matter will be resolved amicably in today’s meeting, hopes Nasir Shah

KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Leader of the Opposition in the dissolved Sindh Assembly Rana Ansar met for a second time on Sunday but failed to reach a consensus on the caretaker chief minister.

The two sides will meet again on Monday (today) to finalise a consensus name to head the interim set-up.

Unlike their first sitting in which no names were discussed from any side, the chief minister and opposition leader exchanged names of their candidates with each other at the Sunday meeting held at the CM House.

Neither the CM nor Ms Ansar shared their names with the media.

Later, Ms Ansar confirmed that it was a “tough job” to reach a consensus in a few sittings.

“We are trying our best to reach a consensus and we are going to meet again one last time tomorrow [Monday] for final consultation,” she told reporters after meeting with CM Shah. “I am going to discuss details of today’s meeting with my leadership and then obviously we will also take our ally GDA into confidence before reaching any decision. So things may take time.”

However, she added if both sides fail to reach a consensus then the matter will be forwarded to a parliamentary committee to decide.

When asked about total number of the names exchanged by both sides, she said they were “too many” and it’s difficult to sort out and scan all the names in a few sittings to reach a consensus.

Senior PPP leader Nasir Hussain Shah also talked to the media after the meeting.

“The names proposed from both sides are well respected,” he said. “But nothing has been finalised yet. The consultation process is on so you can’t call it a failure or deadlock. Tomorrow, another meeting will be held and Insha’Allah the matter will be resolved amicably.”

As per the Constitution, the outgoing chief minister has to give three names for the caretaker CM and seek as many suggestions from the opposition leader within 48 hours of the dissolution of the assembly.

In case of an impasse, the Sindh Assembly speaker will form a committee comprising six members of the outgoing assembly with equal representation from the treasury and opposition. The CM and the opposition leader will forward two nominees each to the committee, which will have three days to evolve consensus on one name. If that fails as well, then the names of the nominees will be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for a final decision within two days.

Political circles don’t rule out the possibility of the matter falling into the hands of the ECP.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2023