Sindh Assembly Convenes Today For Members-Elect Oath

The inaugural session of the Sindh Assembly is scheduled for today, where newly elected members will take their oaths as part of the provincial legislature. Over a hundred public representatives will participate in the swearing-in ceremony, although various political parties, including PTI, JI, GDA, and others, have issued a protest call.

Agha Siraj Durrani, the Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, will preside over the first session, and a timetable will be established for the election of the new speaker and deputy speaker. The general elections resulted in the Pakistan Peoples Party securing 84 seats, MQM-P obtaining 28 seats, GDA with three, and JI with two.

Read more: Sindh Declares Public Holiday On February 26

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced that PPP stalwart Murad Ali Shah would be the Chief Minister for the third term. Additionally, the party selected Awais Shah for the provincial assembly speaker position and Anthony Naveed, a minority candidate, for the role of provincial assembly deputy speaker.

To ensure the smooth conduct of the assembly session, authorities in Sindh have imposed Section 144 in the south zone of Karachi. This measure, prohibiting gatherings of more than four people in public places, aims to maintain law and order during the assembly meeting. Traffic diversions have been implemented, with closures on Burns Road and other routes leading to the Sindh Assembly.

The interior minister of Sindh declared the enforcement of Section 144 around the assembly building, restricting marches or protests in the vicinity. Strict legal actions were warned against those disrupting peace, with police cautioning that any violation would lead to legal repercussions by the concerned station house officer (SHO).

Earlier in the week, PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, along with the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), had announced plans to protest outside the assembly building, citing allegations of election rigging. The security measures and restrictions implemented reflect the authorities’ determination to ensure a peaceful and orderly assembly session amid potential protests and concerns.