Mr. Murad Shah, are you the Chief Minister of Sindh or merely the Mayor of Karachi?
The true strength of leadership lies in being among the people and listening to their grievances.
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
Leadership in a democracy is not measured solely by the number of development projects inaugurated, official meetings attended, or speeches delivered. Rather, it is judged by how closely a leader remains connected with the people whose trust has placed him in office. The greatest leaders are those who leave the comfort of their offices and walk among ordinary citizens, listening to their hopes, frustrations, and struggles.
Sindh is far more than Karachi. It is a province of immense geographical, cultural, and social diversity stretching from the deserts of Tharparkar to the mountains of Kohistan, from the coastal communities of Thatta and Sujawal to the fertile plains of Larkana, Khairpur, Sanghar, Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Dadu, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Badin, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Naushahro Feroze, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sehwan, Mithi, Islamkot, Nagarparkar, Diplo, Chachro, Johi, Mehar, Rohri, Pano Aqil, Kot Diji, Kandhkot, Moro, Sakrand, Dhoronaro, Ubauro, and thousands of villages scattered across the province.
The Chief Minister is not elected to govern only Karachi. Constitutionally and morally, he represents every citizen of Sindh regardless of whether they live in a metropolitan city or a remote desert village.
As the current Chief Minister approaches nearly a decade in office, one cannot help but wonder: how many times has he sat in an open public gathering, a traditional kachehri in Tharparkar, Kohistan, Kashmore, Johi, Diplo, Nagarparkar, Keti Bandar, Shah Bandar, or other neglected regions simply to listen to ordinary people?
How many farmers, fishermen, teachers, women, labourers, and students have had the opportunity to speak directly to him without bureaucratic filters or political protocols?
Has he personally asked why literacy rates remain low in certain districts? Has he sat with parents to encourage education, especially for girls? Has he initiated public dialogues against honour killings, commonly known as karo-kari, child marriages, tribal conflicts, drug abuse, or the alarming dropout rates in rural schools?
Government reports and official briefings can provide statistics, but they cannot fully reveal the realities of daily life. The true condition of a province is discovered when a leader visits a government school without prior notice, walks through a village where clean drinking water is scarce, listens to a widow struggling for healthcare, or sits with a farmer whose crops depend on uncertain irrigation.
Many of Sindh’s challenges are social as much as administrative. Increasing literacy, promoting women’s education, discouraging harmful customs, improving healthcare awareness, strengthening local governance, and creating opportunities for young people require continuous public engagement. Such transformation cannot be achieved through files alone; it demands human interaction.
Karachi undoubtedly serves as the economic heart of Sindh and deserves significant administrative attention. However, if a Chief Minister spends the overwhelming majority of his tenure there, many citizens naturally begin to feel that the government is physically and emotionally distant from the rest of the province.
Regular visits to districts, monthly public hearings, surprise inspections of schools and hospitals, and direct conversations with local communities would not only expose governance gaps but also strengthen public confidence in democratic institutions.
Advisers often recommend high-profile events, project inaugurations, and political rallies. Yet history remembers those leaders who preferred dusty village roads over red carpets, who valued public dialogue over ceremonial protocol, and who measured success by the trust of ordinary citizens rather than media headlines.
The office of Chief Minister carries immense responsibility. Its dignity is enhanced not by the walls of the Secretariat but by the distance a leader is willing to travel to reach the forgotten corners of his province.
There is still time. Frequent visits to the rural districts of Sindh, open public forums, educational campaigns, and direct engagement with communities could create a lasting legacy of inclusive governance.
Power is temporary. Public affection and respect endure far longer. In the end, history honours not those who ruled from a capital city but those who walked among their people and made every citizen feel seen, heard, and valued.
Read: Trapped in a World of Codes
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
