President to lay foundation stone of new Sindh Assembly building today

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Razzak Abro

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the new Sindh Assembly building today (Friday) as the nation celebrates the 62nd Independence Day.

“After the completion of the new assembly building, the present historical building would be preserved and protected as national heritage,” said Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro.

According to Sindh Assembly Secretary Hadi Bux Buriro, president Zardari will be the second head of state after Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, to arrive on an official visit to the historical building.

Anderson and Assarpota Chartered Architects (who also designed the Mama Parsi School in 1925) had presented the design of the present Sindh Assembly building on September 1, 1938. Official record states that foundation stone of existing assembly building was laid by His Excellency Sir Lancelot Graham, the then governor of the Sindh on March 11, 1940. Syed Miran Muhmmad Shah, the then speaker of the Sindh Legislative Assembly had praised it, calling it, “a structure of simplicity, dignity and comfort, besides being piece of excellent architecture.”

The assembly building was inaugurated on March 4, 1942 by Sir Hugh Dow, the then governor of Sindh. On 2nd April, 1942, the first session of Sindh Legislative Assembly was held in this building. The building also has historical importance as Lord Mountbatten, the last Governor General of India had transferred powers on behalf of the British regime to the father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on August, 1947.

Jinnah and Khan Liaquat Ali Khan both took oath as the first governor general and prime minister respectively on August 15, 1947. After the creation of Pakistan, the building was re-designated as the National Assembly and continued with this status till 1964 when the federal capital was shifted to Islamabad. In 1977, the building was declared as headquarters of the chief martial law administrator after imposition of martial law by military dictator, General Zialul Haq, and continued till 1985. In 1993, the Sindh government declared it as a national heritage.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg12_2