KARACHI: Former chief secretary of Sindh Fazal-ur-Rahman, whose name was proposed by the opposition in the provincial assembly, was appointed caretaker chief minister of the province on Thursday late night.

Mr Rahman, who served as chief secretary from 2007 to 2010, was among three other candidates proposed by the opposition — former home adviser Aftab Ahmed Sheikh (Muttahida Qaumi Movement), retired Justice Syed Ghous Ali Shah and retired Justice Amir Hani Muslim.

The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party had proposed the names of another ex-chief secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha, Engineer Hameer Soomro, orthopaedic surgeon Younus Soomro, retired Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai and Dr Qayyum Soomro.

The name of the caretaker chief minister was announced by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at a press conference with Leader of the Opposition Khwaja Izharul-Hassan at the CM House after midnight.

The first formal meeting between Murad Ali Shah and Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hasan to discuss the name for the caretaker chief minister was held on the last day of the assembly on May 28.

After the dissolution of the assembly, the two sides had three days to decide a name for the post, but they preferred to keep mum over the matter as if there was deadlock over the name.

However, the circles close to the PPP high command said the government and the opposition had reached an understanding on the name of Fazal-ur-Rahman at a meeting held on Thursday night.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2018