KARACHI: Syed Murad Ali Shah was re-elected as chief minister of Sindh province here on Thursday during the assembly session in which lawmakers of the far-right religious party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), abstained from voting.
Shah, who was chief minister in the previous government of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), polled 97 votes, while the opposition’s joint candidate, Shehryar Mehar, bagged 61 votes.
The PPP’s jailed member of the provincial assembly, Sharjeel Inam Memon, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Muhammad Hanif, were produced from prison to attend the session to cast their votes.
The nominated governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail, who was elected as a member of the provincial assembly on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket from Karachi, did not attend the session.
Agha Siraj Durrani, the newly elected speaker of the Sindh Assembly, announced Shah’s victory to the slot.
Leaders of different political parties extended congratulations to the newly elected chief minister on the floor of the house. However, they stressed that Shah should use all resources to serve the province. The MQM lawmaker Muhammad Hussain accused Shah of discrimination and not delegating powers to the lower tier of the government.
In his victory speech, the newly elected CM extended his gratitude to the party and masses, who he said have put their trust in him.
“The rights of people were not given in 1971 so we lost half of the country,” Shah said, vowing that his provincial government will serve the people of the province and get their rights from the center.
The losing candidate, Shehryar Mehar, in his speech urged the newly elected CM to take along the opposition and not victimize the opposition party.
Syed Murad Ali Shah belongs to the political family of Jamshoro Sindh. His father Syed Abdullah Shah was chief minister of Sindh province from Oct. 21, 1993 to Nov. 6, 1996, during the PPP’s government.
Shah, however, unlike many from political families, concentrated on his studies and professional life before entering politics in 2002. He completed his matriculation from Saint Patrick’s High School and intermediate from DJ Sindh Government Science College. He did his BE in civil technology from the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi in 1986. He moved to the US for higher studies and gained an M.Sc in civil/structural engineering from Stanford University of California in 1987. He did his M.Sc in economic systems from the same university in 1993 before returning to Pakistan.
Shah joined the Water and Power Development Authority as a junior engineer in 1998 and then moved to the Post Qasim Authority as an executive engineer in 1990.
He was the provincial minister for irrigation and finance in the government of Syed Qaim Ali Shah before he was elevated to the chief minister’s office. Shah, who was elected from PS-80 Jamshoro in the July 25 general elections, was previously elected as chief minister of Sindh on July 29, 2016 when the veteran politician Syed Qaim Ali Shah resigned.
Murad Ali Shah re-elected as Sindh chief minister
Murad Ali Shah re-elected as Sindh chief minister
- Shah bagged 97 out 158 votes to become CM of Southern Pakistani province for the second time. His contender, Shehryar Mehar, a joint candidate of the opposition parties, polled 61 votes
- The strong educational profile of Murad Ali Shah makes him distinguished from his counterparts in other provinces
Pakistan’s PIA enters into cargo deal with Air France-KLM to boost exports
- As per agreement, PIA’s freight division will gain access to Air France-KLM’s network of European, American cities
- Exporters will be able to use both PIA, Air France–KLM’s networks under a single air waybill, says Pakistani airline
KARACHI: The recently privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a cargo agreement with global aviation group Air France-KLM to expand its global outreach and push Pakistani exports to more international markets.
The PIA said its agreement with Air France-KLM came into force on Jan. 15. Air France-KLM operates in 320 destinations and is a global aviation player in passenger, cargo and maintenance businesses.
As per the agreement, PIA Cargo, the airline’s freight division, will gain access to Air France–KLM’s global network. Through the deal, PIA Cargo will gain access to Air France–KLM’s global network via Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam.
Air France-KLM’s network includes major European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, and New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles, the PIA said.
“Significant improvement is expected in the exports of Pakistani products and access to global markets,” the PIA said in a statement.
Exporters will be able to use both the PIA’s and Air France–KLM’s networks under a single air waybill, the airline said.
An air waybill is a document used in international air shipping that serves as a legal, non-negotiable contract between the shipper and the airline.
In November 2025, PIA and Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a Cargo Interline Special Agreement to expand cargo business and augment bilateral trade. The partnership aims to minimize logistical complexities in transporting commodities.
The PIA was Pakistan’s national flag carrier until a Pakistani consortium, led by the Arif Habib Group, secured a 75 percent stake in the airline in December for Rs135 billion ($482 million). Pakistan had previously attempted to reform the debt-ridden airline, which had accumulated more than $2.8 billion in financial losses over the years.
PIA’s new owner Arif Habib announced last week that the airline is in talks with aerospace manufacturers Boeing and Airbus as it plans to revamp service and expand its current fleet.
The PIA has said it plans to increase the airline’s fleet to 64 aircraft from the current figure of 19 over the next eight years.
