KARACHI – Sindh ruling alliance and opposition parties decided to appoint former Sindh High Court chief justice Maqbool Baqar as the caretaker chief minister of the southeastern region.
Baqar’s name was finalised after extended consultations between outgoing Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Leader of Opposition in the dissolved provincial assembly Rana Ansar. Sindh announced his name hours soon before the deadline was about to expire.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori gave assent to the appointment of Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar as caretaker Chief Minister under Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution.
The former Supreme Court judge will take oath as caretaker chief minister today on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mr. Baqar expressed his desire to play his role in upholding the law and the Constitution.
In his interaction with a local media outlet, he said holding polls was a key responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and he would assist the election body as per the law and the constitution.
Calling the current situation difficult, Baqir said he would try to resolve the people’s problems.
Profile: Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar
Justice Maqbool Baqar hailed from the country’s largest city Karachi. He got his basic education in the port city and completed his Law degree from the University of Karachi in 1979.
He started his career as an advocate in the Sindh High Court in the 80s, and after decades of practice, Baqar became Additional Judge High Court in 2002. From 2002-2015, he served as a judge of the Sindh High Court and was elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan three years later.
He penned several key judgments, including some high-profile political cases, and the Baldia factory fire case. Justice (retd) Baqar also gave dissenting notes in Justice Qazi Faez Isa vs Federation of Pakistan.
Known for his critique of the judiciary, he was attacked by a militant outfit in a bomb explosion back in 2013. The former jurist suffered injured with law enforcers and later underwent surgery.
