In sharp contrast to the ponderous style of Qaim Ali Shah, the new Chief Minister has arrived on the job ready to make changes, and the first change he made was to reduce his security motorcade by half. In his words “I don’t believe in unnecessary protocol and pomp and show ... this huge cavalcade of protocol causes problems in the smooth flow of traffic”.

It is a small change – a gesture in reality – and it certainly does not rein in the Rangers nor solve the administrative problems of Karachi, but it must be appreciated nonetheless. By reducing his motorcade on the first day, Murad Ali Shah endears himself to the public; which had come to despise the patronage politics and lavish lifestyle of the Pakistan People Party’s (PPP) leaders. It matters little that he is from a political family – the next time he shows up at the Mazar-e-Quaid without an army of state vehicles, he will seem a little humbler than his predecessors.

This isn’t the only change made by the new Chief Minister; he arrived at his office at 9am and directed all bureaucrats to arrive on time or face punitive measures. If that wasn’t enough to underline the fact that Murad Ali Shah intended to get things done, he formed a group chat on the popular mobile messaging app “Whatsapp” to co-ordinate the Sindh Cabinet.

The message is clear, from the ageing Qaim Ali Shah to the smartphone toting Murad Ali Shah, a transformation has been made, and wholesale changes can be expected. Now it is up to the new Chief Minister to deliver on his promise. His first few days in office have signalled a people-oriented, practical and hands-on approach by the PPP, whether it can channel this to the wider government remains to be seen.