No consensus reached on interim Sindh CM

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah and Leader of Opposition in the dissolved Sindh Assembly Rana Ansar engaged in their initial round of consultations on Saturday to establish consensus regarding the selection of a caretaker chief minister for the province.

According to Dawn.com, the discussions yielded minimal progress, as neither party proposed any potential candidates during the meeting.

As per the media reports, CM Shah, during his press conference expressed optimism that his temporary successor would be appointed through mutual agreement.

Meanwhile, in a separate media interaction, Ansar, based in Hyderabad, remarked, “The CM Shah didn’t disclose names from his side, and I refrained from sharing any as well.” Ansar made history on July 26 by becoming the first female opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly.

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As per the reports, Deputy Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Mustafa Kamal said that the CM informed the opposition leader that he would propose potential candidates for the caretaker role after consulting with his party’s leadership. Kamal said, “We will only provide our nominations after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announces its selections.”

The media reports said that CM shah dismissed the speculation surrounding the caretaker appointment circulating in the media by saying, “Media speculates about numerous names, and when a decision is finally made, they claim to have broken the news first,” in a jesting manner.

Meanwhile, the reports in the media had previously suggested that both the PPP and the MQM had each decided on three potential candidates.

The Procedure

According to the Constitution, the departing chief minister must propose three names for the caretaker chief minister and seek an equal number of suggestions from the opposition leader within 48 hours of the assembly’s dissolution.

However, in the event of a deadlock, the Sindh speaker will form a committee consisting of six members from the outgoing assembly, with balanced representation from both the treasury and the opposition.

The chief minister and the opposition leader will each provide two nominees to the committee, which will have three days to reach a consensus on a single candidate. If this endeavor also fails, the nominees’ names will be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for a final decision within two days, in line with constitutional provisions.

Potential Outcome

Given the ongoing discord between PPP and MQM, political analysts speculated that the matter might ultimately be referred to the ECP, as stipulated by the Constitution. However, former advocate general of Sindh, Barrister Zamir Ghumro, hoped that both sides would eventually find common ground on the issue.

Possible Nominees

According to Dawn.com, since the dissolution of the assembly, various names have surfaced in political and non-political circles as contenders for the role. While PPP reportedly favoured Syed Mumtaz Shah, the outgoing chief secretary, former Supreme Court judge Maqbool Baqar, and builder-investor Mubeen Jumani from Khairpur, MQM’s potential choices included Shoaib Siddiqui and Yunus Dhaga, both former federal secretaries.

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) was also considering names such as Dr. Safdar Abbasi, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Fazalullah Qureshi, Mukhtiar Ahmed, and Hussain Haroon. A GDA representative mentioned that their decision would align with federal-level announcements.

Conclusion

The process of selecting a caretaker chief minister involves intricate constitutional steps, raising the possibility of the matter being referred to the ECP. While political alliances and rivalries have played a role, optimism remains that a resolution can be reached. The diverse list of potential nominees underscores the complexity of the decision-making process in the context of Sindh’s political landscape.