Rising to the ocassion
After serving as Governor Sindh for fourteen years, Ishrat-ul-Ibad has been relieved of his duties by the federal government and replaced with ex-CJP, Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui. The removal of Ibad is surprising, considering he had survived three different federal governments including this one as governor. He was selected for the post by President Musharraf in 2002, retained it during the five years of the PPP and three years of the current ruling party. Therefore moulding himself to get along with successive governments was his forte.
His diplomacy chops are further displayed as he was able to defuse the political tension and violence to an extent by holding talks with members of different parties during his tenure. In addition to this he was an efficient administrator who held regular meetings with all stakeholders. The completion of a 73 acre park in Karachi in a matter of 310 days – a city that is not known for efficient infrastructure development – is a testament to that. While recent incidents like the former Governor’s exchange of accusations with Mustafa Kamal last month or the ongoing attempts to unite MQM factions might have played a role, it appears that Ishrat ul Ibad has outlived his utility for those who matter.
Former CJP Saed-uz-Zaman has accepted a formidable challenge by agreeing to accept the job. Having served as an ex-CJP, Saeed-uz-Zaman might possess knowledge of the administration. A principled man, he refused to take oath under the PCO stating it would be a nullification of the oath he had taken to defend the 1973 constitution. He has also been offered the presidency twice by the PML-N in 2008 and 2013. While he enjoys the full trust of the PMLN leadership, he suffers from the handicap of being almost an octogenarian and may not turn out to be as efficient as his fore-runner. Among other things the gubernatorial responsibilities require a balancing of the interests of rural and urban Sindh which a politician can do better than a former judge.