Speculation on Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah’s removal gained sudden momentum when the Pakistan People’s Party spokesperson Farhatullah Babar announced the party decision about the replacement of the chief executive of the province. The decision was taken after top leadership of the PPP, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, held a meeting with close aides in Dubai on Sunday. Mr Shah was also part of the meeting who had gone to Dubai for primarily discussing and finalising a decision on expanding the scope of special policing powers of Rangers to the whole of Sindh. This is Mr Shah’s third tenure as chief minister of Sindh, and he has spent nearly 10 years in the office, the longest period among his peers. He, however, has been facing scathing criticism during his past two tenures with allegations ranging from bad governance to incompetence in handling various governmental issues. However, it is also a fact that despite bad governance, Mr Shah has never been found involved in any corrupt practice. His opponents have never named him in any corruption case, and surely, this is a great achievement for the outgoing chief minister. A change of guard in the Sindh cabinet was long overdue due to certain other reasons . Firstly, the age factor of Mr Shah was an obvious reason for his likely removal as the chief executive of the province. Secondly, there were rumours that the incumbent Sindh CM has soft corner for the Rangers. Third, the performance of the Sindh government has remained below the satisfactory level providing a reason for the party leadership to make a decision about his ouster before the expiry of his third term as the Sindh CM. After the finalisation of the decision regarding Mr Shah’s removal, there is a buzz about the next chief minister of Sindh. A few names are already making rounds in the political circles for the coveted post. Murad Ali Shah, a senior minister for finance, energy, planning and development, is said to be a strong candidate for the slot. Other contenders include senior Minister for Education and Literacy, and Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Khuhro; Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Manzoor Wasan, Interior Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, and Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani. A staunch loyalist of the PPP for nearly two decades, Mr Shah has enjoyed close rapport with the PPP leadership. He is a soft-spoken, dignified politician, who is respected by people of all parties. The challenges that the new chief minister would face are not limited to maintaining law and order in Karachi, improving relations with the Rangers and protecting the rights of politicians and bureaucrats. Since the party has a simple majority in the Sindh Assembly, it can easily elect a new leader of the house. Karachi is financial hub of the country and surely needs a competent chief executive to look after its day-to-day affairs. The next CM needs to be a capable person, who could clear all the mess that has embroiled Karachi for many years. We, at Daily Times, wish Qaim Ali Shah all the best in all he does after his retirement as the chief minister of Sindh. *