Murad Ali Shah

Syed Murad Ali Shah Lakyari is a Pakistani politician and structural engineer who currently serves as the Chief Minister of Sindh. He is a member of the Sindh Assembly and is presently undertaking his third term in this leadership role. His professional background includes significant experience as both the Finance Minister and the Minister of Irrigation for the province.

Early life and education

Shah was born on 8 November 1962 in Karachi, West Pakistan. He belongs to a Sindhi Muslim Lakyari Syed family. His father, Syed Abdullah Ali Shah, previously served as the chief minister of Sindh. The lineage of Murad Ali Shah traces back to the Sufi saint Shah Sadaruddin Lakyari, who is located near Sehwan Sharif.

He completed his matriculation at Saint Patrick's High School before moving to D. J. Sindh Government Science College in Karachi for his intermediate studies. After being admitted to the engineering programme at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, he earned a B.E. in civil engineering. He achieved the distinction of being a silver medalist upon his graduation from the university. Following this achievement, he secured the Quaid-e-Azam scholarship to study abroad. Shah attended Stanford University in California to complete an M.Sc. in structural engineering. He returned to Stanford two years later to earn a second master's degree in economic systems while studying on an international scholarship.

Career

Between 1986 and 1990, Shah worked as a water engineer for the Government of Sindh at the Water and Power Development Authority in Lahore. He later joined the Port Qasim Authority in Karachi and served as a city engineer for the Hyderabad Development Authority. His technical career continued through roles at Wapda, Port Qasim Authority, and the Hyderabad Development Authority. He eventually transitioned into the private sector by joining Citibank. During his tenure with Citibank, he worked in both Sindh and London. He also held a position at the Gulf Investment Corporation in Kuwait.

His political journey began in 2002 when he became a member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh representing PS-73 (Dadu III). He was elected to the Sindh Assembly again in 2008 as a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party. During the cabinet of Syed Qaim Ali Shah, he served as the provincial Minister for Irrigation. Although he was barred from contesting elections in 2013, he successfully proved to the courts that he did not hold Canadian nationality. This legal victory allowed him to run in the election and secure a seat in the Sindh Assembly for a second consecutive time. He was subsequently assigned the role of provincial finance minister.

On 29 July 2016, Shah was elected to the chief minister's office after the Pakistan Peoples Party decided to replace Syed Qaim Ali Shah. He holds the distinction of being the first and only Chief Minister of Sindh to serve three consecutive terms. He served from 2016 until the 2018 provincial elections, where he was re-elected as a PPP candidate. Following the 2024 Sindh provincial election, he was elected for a third time on a PPP ticket. While the PPP claims his appointment was based on his skill in distributing water and financial resources, opposition groups such as the Grand Democratic Alliance, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have protested against his administration. These critics allege issues regarding electoral manipulation and poor governance.

Personal life

Shah is a descendant of the Sufi saint Shah Sadaruddin Lakyari. He previously held Canadian citizenship but gave it up to contest elections in Pakistan. His political identity is closely tied to the Pakistan Peoples Party and his family's history in Sindh leadership.