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The Governor's House ( ur, ; previously known as the
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries.
Gover ...
, Governor-General's House and President's House) in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
is the
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
of the
governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Minister of Sindh, chief minister and t ...
. The current
governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Minister of Sindh, chief minister and t ...
is
Kamran Tessori
Kamran Tessori (Urdu language, Urdu: کامران ٹیسوری) is a Pakistani politician and businessman, currently serving as the Governor of Sindh since 9 October 2022. Tessori is a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan party.
...
. It is located along the Aiwan-e-Sadar Road of Karachi.
[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\10\11\story_11-10-2009_pg12_10 Daily Times: Aiwan-e-Sadar Road , Newly renovated]
Built in 1939, it is a historical building and has been the residence of several prominent figures, including the Commissioners and pre-independence British governors of Sindh, followed by the Governor-Generals of Pakistan, the President of Pakistan and then by the Governors of present-day Sindh province.
History
Old Government House
The Sindh Governor House is located on the original site of the now-demolished Government House, which was built in the year 1843 by
Sir Charles Napier while Sindh was part of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. The Government House had been constructed for Napier's personal use. When Napier left in 1847, the house was bought by the Government of British India and used as an official residence by the
Commissioners of Sindh up until 1936.
British Raj
The construction of the present Governor House building started in the year 1936 by renowned architect R.T. Russel and was completed in 1939, at a cost of 700,000
rupee
Rupee is the common name for the currencies of
India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
s. The new building was built to replace the Government House, which had been in a state of disrepair and was no longer suitable for habitation.
Sir Lancelot Graham, the first Governor of Sindh, laid the foundation stone of the building and started using it as his residence in 1939.
After Graham, the succeeding governors of Sindh,
Sir Hugh Dow (1941–1946) and
Sir Francis Mudie (1946–1947), also lived in the building.
Post-independence
Following Pakistan's
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
in August 1947 and Karachi's designation as the country's
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
, the building became the residence of
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
, the founder of Pakistan and its first
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
. From that point onward, the building became known as the "Governor-General's House" and was used as an official residence by all Governor-Generals of Pakistan who succeeded Jinnah. Jinnah had continued to reside in the house until his death in September 1948.
In 1956, the post of Governor-General was abolished and replaced by the
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.[Iskandar Mirza
Sahibzada Iskander Ali Mirza ( bn, ইস্কান্দার আলী মির্জা; ur, ; 13 November 1899 – 13 November 1969), , was a Pakistani Bengali general officer and civil servant who was the first President of Pakista ...]
, the country's first elected president. The building was thereafter referred to as the "President's House."
By the 1970s, Karachi was no longer the capital of Pakistan; the federal government was shifted to
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
. With the dissolution of the
One Unit
The One Unit Scheme ( ur, ; bn, এক ইউনিট ব্যবস্থা) was a geopolitical programme launched by the Government of Pakistan led by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra on 22 November 1954 and passed on 30 September 1955 ...
scheme and revival of provinces, Karachi was designated the capital city of Sindh. The house eventually became the residence of the Governor of Sindh and continues to be so as of present.
See also
*
Governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Minister of Sindh, chief minister and t ...
*
Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
A Government House is any residence used by Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the British Empire. Government Houses serve as the venue for Governors’ official business, as well as the many receptions ...
*
Governor's House (Lahore)
The Governor's House ( ur, ) in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan is the official residence of the governor of Punjab (Pakistan). It is spread over 700 kanals. The current governor of Punjab is Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman.
Location and area
The Governor's ...
*
Governor's House (Peshawar)
The Governor's House in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan is a historic building and has a secret tunnel from the left side mosque to the Bala Hisar Fort it is about 1.25 km long, amidst what is now a park. It is close to the Peshawar Mus ...
References
External links
Official website: Governor of SindhGovernor House Karachi at Wikimapia
{{Karachi topics , state=autocollapse
Buildings and structures in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
*
Governor's houses in Pakistan
Memorials to Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Heritage sites in Karachi