The Sindh Assembly stood dissolved on Friday as Governor Kamran Tessori signed and approved Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s summary for the dissolution of the provincial legislature.

The development comes just days before the completion of the Sindh Assembly’s five-year term, which commenced on Aug 13, 2018. Earlier this week, the National Assembly also saw a premature dissolution.

In a notification issued by the Sindh government, Tessori said: “As advised by the chief minister and in exercise of powers conferred upon me under clause (1) of Article 112 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and other provisions enabling me in this behalf, I, Muhammad Kamran Khan Tessori, governor of Sindh, hereby dissolve the Provincial Assembly of Sindh on Friday, the 11th day of August, at 9pm.”

According to the Constitution, the governor shall dissolve the provincial assembly if so advised by the chief minister; and the provincial assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the chief minister has so advised.

Earlier in the day, in the farewell session of the Sindh Assembly, CM Murad said he would send the summary to the governor later tonight.

On Thursday, the opposition Grand Democratic Alliance and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan claimed to have reached a consensus over their candidates for the office of the caretaker chief minister but said they would make a formal announcement after the dissolution of the Sindh Assembly.

GDA leader Sardar Rahim said that both the opposition parties had finalised their names but it was not appropriate to announce them until the appointment of caretaker prime minister and dissolution of the Sindh Assembly.

Sources told Dawn that retired bureaucrats Shoaib Siddiqui, Younus Dagha and senior politician Dr Safdar Abbasi were among the candidates shortlisted by the GDA and MQM-P for the office of the caretaker chief minister.

These names, the sources said, would be given to Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Rana Ansar, who would present the same to CM Murad.

Until the caretaker CM is finalised, Murad will remain the chief minister.

Going back to people with dignity: Murad

Meanwhile, addressing the last provincial cabinet session in the afternoon, outgoing CM Murad said he, his cabinet members and all the PPP MPAs were going “back to the people with dignity and respect”.

He recalled that at the beginning of his tenure in 2018, the then-federal government [PTI] was “unwilling” to cooperate and tried to destabilise the PPP government in Sindh.

“But under the guidance of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, we kept serving our people steadfastly,” he said.

The CM went on to say that the province was still braving the Covid pandemic when the disastrous floods of 2022 swept most parts of Sindh. “I had almost lost hope to drain out such a deluge of the water but the cabinet members, party workers, and the leadership supported me and finally the water was disposed of, and wheat crops were sown.

“We all — the party leadership, ministers, advisors, special assistants, coordinators, MPAs, and party workers — stood shoulder-by-shoulder with the flood-affected people,” he added.

Murad also paid tribute to his cabinet members, who in return lauded his performance as the chief minister.