The vice president of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) center Haleem Adil Sheikh took over as opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday.
The Sheikh has replaced another of his party leaders, Firdous Shahim Naqvi, and praised his predecessor’s merits for his party. The two of them visited the opposition leader’s office together, where the Shaykh formally assumed responsibility.
He thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party leaders for calming his trust. He also thanked the allies for their support. “I will prove myself not only the voice of the opposition but also the voice of Sindh.”
Sheikh said that during the past 13 years of Pakistani People’s Party provincial rule, the province’s basic problems had not been resolved. “Progress has only occurred in corruption and hoarding of assets by PPP leaders,” he said.
He says Naqvi is Khan’s old friend, and he will get responsibility in Center soon. “I will take directions from the Naqvi and we will work together to expose corruption in Sindh,” he said.
The Naqvi submitted his resignation from the opposition leadership post earlier this month. Party sources said a group of PTI MPAs had complained to central leaders, especially Prime Minister Imran Khan, against the Naqvi about his tough stance on them.
“A party MPA group has complained to Prime Minister Khan that it is difficult for them to work under the Naqvi leadership in the provincial assembly,” an MPA told The News. Some analysts attributed the replacement of the opposition leader in the provincial assembly to the Naqvi statement in September, when he criticized the federal government for not playing a role in solving the city’s ongoing electricity and gas crisis.
Naqvi was quoted as saying that “he will make sure Prime Minister Imran Khan, Energy Minister Omar Ayub and assistant prime minister for petroleum, Nadeem Babar, are embarrassed that Karachi is facing a gas shortage crisis.”