Governor Sindh Saeed-uz-Zaman laid to rest after state funeral in Karachi

KARACHI: Governor Sindh Justice (retd) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui was laid to rest at Gizri graveyard after his funeral prayers were offered at Governor House in a state funeral here on Friday.

Mufti Taqi Usmani led his Namaz Janaza, which was attended among others by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, former CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, Chief Justice Sindh High Court Sajjad Ali Shah, MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Khawaja Izhar and PTI leader Arif Alvi along with Corps Commander Karachi and DG Rangers Sindh.

Siddiqui had passed away on Wednesday in a private hospital, where he was taken due to chest pain and breathing problem. He had been facing severe health issues ever since assuming charge as the 31st governor of the province, replacing Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan -- the longest serving governor in Pakistan.

Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani will perform duties as acting governor of Sindh until the appointment of the new governor.

Three days after being sworn in on November 11, the late Sindh Governor was admitted to the hospital reportedly for breathing difficulties and a chest infection.

Siddiqui was born in Lucknow on Dec 1, 1938 before his family migrated to East Pakistan present day Bangladesh. Early education was acquired from Dhaka before settling in Karachi.

Justice (retd) Siddiqui graduated from Karachi University and then studied law that led to him being enrolled as an advocate of the high court in 1963 and then the Supreme Court in 1968.

He contested bar elections and held various positions until he was appointed a judge of the Sindh High Court in May 1980. He was appointed chief justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC) ten years after being appointed as a judge of the high court. Earlier, he contested and held various bar positions.

In May 1992, Siddiqui was elevated as a judge of Pakistan's top court and subsequently became 15th chief justice of Pakistan on July 1, 1999 and remained in the position till Jan 26, 2000. He was twice nominated for the post of president in 2003 and 2008.

During the rule of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, Justice (retd) Siddiqui famously refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).