Saeeduzzaman sworn in as 31st Sindh governor

Skips traditional visit to Quaid’s mausoleum

KARACHI: Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui was sworn in on Friday as the 31st governor of Sindh.

The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Sajjad Ali Shah at a ceremony which was attended, among others, by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, members of the Sindh cabinet, Speaker of Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani, Chief Secretary Mohammad Siddique Memon, former governor Sindh Moinuddin Hyder and diplomats.

The outgoing governor, Dr Ishratul Ebad Khah left for Dubai, before the start of the ceremony.

Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, a controversy erupted in the media after the new governor deferred the visit to the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam, considered a traditional practice of all such office-holders.

The media reported that the governor canceled this visit, citing poor health condition. He is said to be suffering from multiple diseases and cannot properly walk.

However the spokesperson for the Governor House maintained that the programme was postponed because of the ongoing construction at the mausoleum.

“The Governor is not ill. He held meetings with the staff of the Governor House and talked with President Mamnoon Hussain over phone,” the spokesperson said, adding that most of his time was spent with his family and he will resume official duties from Saturday (today).

Meanwhile, the outgoing governor told media persons at Karachi airport that he was going to Dubai and had not yet decided whether or not to take part in politics.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2016.