Governor's House (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

/; ), formerly known as the Quetta Residency, is a historical government building located on Zarghun Road in

Quetta Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a ...

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

, Pakistan. It serves as the official residence of the

governor of Balochistan The Governor of Balochistan is the head of the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The post was established on 1 July 1970, after the dissolution of West Pakistan province and the end of One Unit. Under Pakistan's current parliamentary system, the ...

. Originally built in 1888 to house the

chief commissioners of Baluchistan Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

during

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

, the building was damaged during the

1935 Quetta earthquake An earthquake occurred on 31 May 1935 between 2:30 am and 3:40 am at Quetta, Baluchistan Agency (now part of Pakistan), close to the border with southern Afghanistan. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 and anywhere between 30,000 ...

. It was rebuilt by the then

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

of British India and completed in 1942. Following Pakistan's

independence Independence is a condition of a 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 status of ...

in 1947, it became the principal workplace and residence of the province's chief commissioners and governors. It is recognised as one of several cultural heritage sites in Quetta.

Location

The Governor's House is located on Zarghun Road, which is also the site of several other prominent landmarks and government buildings in Quetta. The Chief Minister's House and the office of the Chief Secretary are situated opposite to Governor's House, while the northern side of the complex faces Mir Jafar Khan Jamali Road. The complex occupies a total area of 22 acres.

History

Governor's House was established in 1888, originally as the Quetta Residency. It was constructed as the official residence for the

when the region was under the administration of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. It was a two-story structure built in

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

style, with a

porte cochere Porte may refer to: *Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire *Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy *John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator *Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...

at the front entrance supported by four neoclassical columns. The ground level of the façade featured a porch area with a series of

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

es supporting a covered

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

on the first floor. The building's

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

, made from brick, was topped by a

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

and featured two large doors on the first floor, opening onto an exposed balcony. The roof held two chimney stacks on either side of the portico.

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

stands were usually positioned on the garden outside the front of the building. During his royal tour of British India in 1905–06,

Prince George, Duke of York George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

(later King George V) is known to have visited the residency along with his spouse,

Princess Victoria Mary Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King-Empe ...

, and planted a ''

chinar ''Platanus orientalis'', the Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree in the family Platanaceae, growing to or more, and known for its longevity and spreading crown. In autumn its deep green leaves may change to blood red, amber, and yellow. ...

'' sapling. Amongst those who were present to receive the royals at the residency was

Shahbaz Khan Bugti Nawab Sir Shahbaz Khan Bugti, KCIE () was a tribal chief of the Bugtis in Balochistan. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in November 1901 for fighting for the British Colonial Government of India a ...

, chief of the Bugti tribe. During the

, the building underwent significant structural damage. Subsequently, it was recommissioned and refurnished by the

of British India at the time and completed in 1942. The new building, finished in colonial style with a new façade, functions as the present structure. Its exterior is constructed from

mudbrick Mudbrick or mud-brick, also known as unfired brick, is an air-dried brick, made of a mixture of mud (containing loam, clay, sand and water) mixed with a binding material such as rice husks or straw. Mudbricks are known from 9000 BCE. From ...

and partially from burnt bricks. After Pakistan's

in 1947, the house became the residence of the provincial chief commissioners up until 1955. The founder and first governor-general of Pakistan,

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 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 inception of Pa ...

, notably spent some of his last days at the Quetta Residency. Jinnah had been advised by his physician to relocate from his Ziarat Residency to the lower altitudes of Quetta, on account of his worsening lung health. He spent a month at the Quetta Residency, until he was flown to

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

where he

died Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sho ...

in September 1948. In February 1961,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

arrived at the Quetta Residency while visiting the city during their first royal tour of Pakistan. Following the tradition of her grandfather George V, Elizabeth planted a

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

sapling at the complex. With the abolishment of the

One Unit Scheme The One Unit Scheme (; ) was the reorganisation of the provinces of Pakistan by the central Pakistani government. It was led by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra on 22 November 1954 and passed on 30 September 1955. The government claimed that ...

, which lasted from 1955 to 1970, and the restoration of Balochistan's provincial status, the Quetta Residency became the official residence of the subsequent governors of Balochistan and was thereafter known as the Governor's House. During the prime ministership of

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...

, the doors of Governor's House were opened for public access for the first time in October 2018. There were plans to convert the house into a museum and transform the adjoining lawns into a women's park, which did not materialise.

Description

The sprawling grounds of Governor's House contain up to 1,500 different species of trees. The complex has its own zoo and

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where Bird flight, they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flig ...

, which is home to several different types of fauna. There is also a statue installed outside of Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes, who served as the chief commissioner of Baluchistan for multiple terms in the late 19th century. The interior of the house features relics, artefacts and furniture from both the British era and the post-independence period. The Darbar Hall of Governor's House is known for its wooden

sprung floor A sprung floor is a floor that absorbs shocks, giving it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best kind for dance and indoor sports and physical education, and can enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Modern sprung floors are ...

, which was purposefully installed during the British period for use as a dancing floor. The light fittings include a set of Persian chandeliers which were gifted by the last

Shah of Iran The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...

. There is a portrait of every ruling governor of Balochistan up until the present time. Amongst the artwork hanging inside Governor's House is an original piece of calligraphy commissioned by

Sadequain Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi () (30 June 1930 10 February 1987), and often referred to as Sadequain Naqqash, was a historical Pakistani artist and poet best known for his skills as a calligrapher and a painter. He is considered one of the fines ...

in 1980 and valued at one

crore Crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes the quantity ten million (107) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. In many international contexts, the decimal quantity is formatted as 10,000,000, but when used in the context of the India ...

rupees 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 Afr ...

, gifted by the artist himself.

Personnel

The permanent staff of Governor's House usually comprises a senior

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

, known as the principal secretary, and a military secretary who is a serving officer of the

Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consists of three uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are backe ...

. Both secretaries report to the governor's office. The principal secretary heads a team of administrative officers which includes a director, additional secretaries, a public relations officer, junior secretaries and section officers. The military secretary oversees the comptroller and protocol officer's functions.

Gallery

File:Governor's House, Quetta.jpg, Façade of Governor's House at evening time. File:Governor's House, Quetta, in winter.jpg, Governor's House in

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

References

External links

* {{Quetta, state=collapsed 1888 establishments in British India 1942 establishments in British India British colonial architecture in Pakistan Buildings and structures in Balochistan, Pakistan Cultural heritage sites in Balochistan, Pakistan Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth Government of Balochistan, Pakistan

Houses completed in 1888 Houses completed in 1942 Quetta