The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership has endorsed Syed Murad Ali Shah as the 25th Chief Minister of Sindh province. Hailing from a prominent political family, Shah will lead the provincial assembly for the third time since 2016.
Murad Ali Shah, aged 61, received his early education from Saint Patrick’s High School and completed his intermediate studies at D. J. Sindh Government Science College in Karachi. He pursued higher education in engineering, graduating with a B.E. in civil engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology, where he was honored as a silver medalist.
Furthering his academic pursuits, Shah obtained an M.Sc. in structural engineering and a second master’s degree in economic systems from Stanford University in California, USA, on international scholarships. Beginning his professional career in 1986, Shah served as a water engineer at various governmental organizations including the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in Lahore and the Port Qasim Authority in Karachi.
He also held engineering positions at the Hyderabad Development Authority before transitioning to the banking sector. Shah worked for Citibank in Sindh and London, and also gained experience at the Gulf Investment Corporation in Kuwait. Notably, Shah’s father, Syed Abdullah Shah, had previously served as Chief Minister of Sindh during Benazir Bhutto’s second government, holding the additional portfolio of finance. Hailing from Jamshoro, Shah belongs to the Lakyari Syed family lineage, descended from Shah Sadaruddin Lakyari (Lakhi Shah Sadar) near Sehwan Sharif.
He entered politics by winning a seat in the Sindh Assembly in the 2002 elections and has since held various ministerial positions, including finance in Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah’s cabinet.
Despite perceptions of him being more bureaucratic than political, Shah has garnered support from his constituency due to his developmental initiatives, including the establishment of schools, dispensaries, road construction, and providing employment opportunities based on merit.
Although initially barred from contesting the 2013 elections due to his Canadian citizenship, Shah relinquished his second nationality to participate in the electoral process. He was subsequently re-elected to the Sindh Assembly and appointed as the finance minister in the provincial cabinet.
