Newly elected representatives were sworn into the 16th Sindh Assembly amidst protests and arrests on Saturday. This was the second assembly to have its lawmakers take oath after the February 8 general elections, with at least 313 MPAs elected to the Punjab Assembly a day ago.
According to results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PPP leads in the province with 84 seats, followed by the MQM-P with 28 seats. Independent candidates, including those from the PTI, secured 14 seats, while the GDA and JI got two each.
Today’s assembly proceedings faced protests in Karachi by the GDA, JUI-F, and others against alleged rigging in the general elections. The caretaker provincial government had imposed Section 144 on public gatherings in the “Red Zone” where the Sindh Assembly is located.
During the assembly session, MPAs-elect of the GDA, JI, and PTI did not show up to take oath. The session began with a delay and saw lawmakers taking their oaths in Sindhi, Urdu, and English. The session was adjourned until elections for speaker and deputy speaker on Sunday.
Meanwhile, protests and arrests were reported in Karachi with JUI-F claiming their supporters were being stopped by the police. Containers were placed at various points in the city to control the situation.
The PPP nominated Murad for the post of Sindh Chief Minister with a two-thirds majority in the house. Syed Awais Shah and Naveed Anthony were nominated for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Assembly respectively. The MQM-P also announced its candidates for the speaker and deputy speaker positions.