World | Pakistan
Shah takes over as Sindh chief minister
Syed Qaim Ali Shah, a senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), yesterday took oath as the chief minister of Sindh.
- By Mujahid Ali, Correspondent
- Published: 23:38 April 8, 2008
Karachi: Syed Qaim Ali Shah, a senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), yesterday took oath as the chief minister of Sindh.
The oath ceremony was held at Governor's House.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) stayed away from the ceremony, indicating growing differences between the two major political parties of the province.
The MQM, which boycotted the Sindh Assembly session on Monday to protest against the manhandling of former chief minister Arbab Ghullam Rahim by PPP supporters, hardened its stand saying that its leadership was finding it difficult to work with the PPP.
The PPP supporters not only manhandled the former chief minister, but also misbehaved with our women workers, Haider Abbas Rizvi, a senior MQM leader, told reporters.
"We are increasingly finding it difficult to work with the PPP," he said. "Our workers will decide whether we should form an alliance with the PPP or not," he said.
The MQM gave unconditional support to the PPP and voted for Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as well as for the slots of speaker and deputy speaker in the Sindh Assembly.
Relations strained
The goodwill between PPP and MQM - the one time rivals - was created when PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari took the initiative and telephoned MQM's self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain. Later Zardari also visited MQM headquarters. The move was reciprocated by the MQM.
However, the beating of former chief minister by PPP supporters in Sindh Assembly has strained relations between the two sides. However, PPP sources say that efforts were on to bring the MQM into the coalition government.
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