PPP’s Syed Awais Qadir Shah won the election for the new speaker of the Sindh Assembly on Sunday, securing 111 votes against MQM-P’s Sofia Saeed, who received 36 votes. The session, chaired by outgoing speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, saw Owais Shah and Anthony Naveed elected as PPP’s candidates for speaker and deputy speaker.
During the assembly session, members backed by PTI protested alleged electoral malpractice, while the newly elected PPP and MQM-P members took their oaths. Notably, PTI-backed independents, JI, and GDA boycotted the opening sitting.
Opposition parties, including JUI-F, PTI, JI, MQM-H, and GDA, staged rallies in the city, alleging rigging in the February 8 polls. The administration enforced road closures and Section 144 in the Red Zone to prevent protests near the Sindh Assembly.
According to ECP poll results, PPP emerged as the largest party in Sindh with 88 seats, followed by MQM with 28, PTI’s independents with 14, and GDA and JI with two seats each. Syed Murad Ali Shah is expected to secure another term as Chief Minister of Sindh, with the leader of the house election to follow the speaker and deputy speaker takeover.
