MQM-Pakistan feels left out as Sindh Governor replaced

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan in a statement released on Thursday expressed its reservations over appointment of a new governor for Sindh.

"MQM-Pakistan is the second largest party of Sindh. For better working relations it would have been a good idea to discuss the the change of governor with MQM-Pakistan," the statement read.

Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, MQM-Pakistan chief Farooq Sattar said that even though their party had distanced itself from the former governor Dr Ishrat ul Ebad, he was after all their representative. "It was the duty of the federal government to discuss this important decision with political parties in Sindh, both the Pakistan People's Party and MQM-Pakistan."

The newly-appointed Governor Sindh Justice (R) Saeed uz Zaman will take oath of his office on Friday, after having replaced Dr. Ishratul Ebad who held the key post for 14 years.

Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Sajjad Ali Shah would administer oath to the newly-appointed Sindh governor, after which he would be formally taking charge of his responsibilities.

The decision was made at a recent meeting between President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Geo News learnt. After which, the Presidency issued a notification of Zaman's instatement as governor on Wednesday.

Zaman has remained the Chief Justice of Pakistan from July 1999 till December 2005. During the former dictator General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf's rule Zaman refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). 

In 2008 he ran as presidential candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

The former governor Dr Ishrat ul Ebad took oath in December 2002 and has been the longest serving governor in Sindh.

Dr Ebad stirred controversy after former Karachi mayor and Pak Sarzameen Party chief Mustafa Kamal hurled corruption allegations at him. Calling him 'Rishwat ul Ebad' in a fiery press talk on October 17 he demanded that he should be placed on the Exit Control List.