KARACHI – Following Punjab, the inaugural session of the Sindh Assembly is scheduled for February 24, as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) prepares to form the provincial government for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term.
In a notification issued by Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, the assembly’s inaugural session will commence at 11 am at the Sindh Assembly building.
During the opening session, the newly-elected members will take their oath, followed by the election of the House speaker in accordance with assembly rules.
Per the regulations, the outgoing speaker will preside over the proceedings for the election of the new speaker. Should the outgoing speaker be absent, a nominee of the provincial governor will oversee the process. Following the speaker’s election, the session will proceed to select a deputy speaker.
Once the speaker and deputy speaker are elected, the assembly will proceed to elect the chief minister from among its members.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), PPP secured the most provincial assembly seats (84), followed by MQM-P (28), with independent candidates clinching 14 seats, GDA 2, and JI 2 in the February 8 Sindh polls.
Additionally, PPP obtained 26 reserved seats for women and minorities, while MQM-P received eight reserved seats based on their representation in the assembly.
Disputing the election results, PTI, JI, and GDA have joined forces to protest against the alleged widespread “rigging” in the recent polls. They have announced province-wide protest demonstrations to coincide with the inaugural session of the Provincial Assembly.
Labeling the elections as “rigged” and “anti-state,” GDA previously declared that its two winning candidates would not take their oaths as lawmakers.
In a notable move, JI Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman announced his intention to relinquish his provincial assembly seat, PS-129, in Karachi, as he contested but did not win the seat, which was won by a PTI-backed candidate.
