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gha Siraj Khan Durrani, Pakistan Peoples Party stalwart and three-time speaker of the Sindh Assembly, leaves behind a towering political legacy. His political career spanned four decades. His name was once synonymous with the speaker’s chair — a position his father and an uncle had held before him.
Born on October 5, 1953, in Garhi Yasin, Shikarpur, Durrani received his early education at St Patrick’s High School, Karachi, before earning a degree in commerce and later an LLB from Sindh Muslim Government Law College. Before taking up politics full-time politics, he had briefly lived in the United States, where he ran a hardware business. The experience had broadened his perspective.
Politics was his inheritance. His father, Agha Sadaruddin, and uncle, Agha Badruddin, had both served as speakers of the Sindh Assembly. Durrani entered active politics in 1985. He formally joined the PPP in 1988, winning his first election that same year. Over the decades, he became one of the most trusted loyalists of the Bhutto family, known for his discipline, courage and steadfast ideological commitment to democracy and the federation.
As speaker, a post he first assumed in 2013, Durrani had a reputation for firmness and procedural discipline. His colleagues often described him as “a guardian of the Assembly’s dignity” — a presiding officer who commanded respect even from his critics. He oversaw some of the most contentious sessions in Sindh’s legislative history, yet maintained decorum and constitutional order.
He also served as acting governor on three occasions between 2017 and 2022, performing his duties with the same meticulous care that defined his speakership. During this period, he strengthened the Assembly’s administrative and procedural independence, ensuring that the legislature’s voice remained firm even amid political turbulence.
Durrani’s career was not without trials. He faced several legal battles over allegations of assets beyond known means — charges he vehemently denied, calling them politically motivated. Despite the pressure, he remained unshaken, continuing to preside over the Assembly whenever permitted. For many in the PPP his resilience during these years turned him into a symbol of defiance.
Throughout his political journey, Agha Siraj Durrani remained unwavering in his loyalty to the party and to the Bhutto legacy. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari described him as “a symbol of tolerance and patience, who upheld democratic values even under immense pressure.” President Asif Ali Zardari called him “a son of Sindh who served the province with honour and conviction.” Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif lauded his “commitment to the federation and his invaluable services to parliamentary democracy.” Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah remembered him as “a sincere, loyal and principled man who made public service the axis of his politics.”
In an exclusive conversation with The News on Sunday, PPP leader Faisal Mir offered a deeply personal tribute:
“Agha Siraj Durrani was not just a parliamentarian; he was a symbol of unwavering political commitment and steadfast loyalty to democratic values. Throughout his life, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto during the most challenging chapters of our political struggle. He faced imprisonment, pressure and political victimisation, yet his dedication to the Pakistan Peoples Party and its ideology never faltered for a single moment.
“His long-standing association with President Asif Ali Zardari reflected trust, political wisdom and a shared commitment to strengthening the federation of Pakistan. His bond with chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was rooted in ideological guidance and political mentorship. He remained a firm pillar of support for the new leadership in carrying forward the mission of the Bhutto legacy. His close coordination with Faryal Talpur showcased his role in maintaining party unity, discipline and organisational strength in Sindh and beyond.
“What distinguished him most was his deep connection with PPP workers at the grassroots level. He treated every jiyala not as a supporter, but as a comrade in the struggle. He remained accessible, compassionate and deeply respectful towards the party’s workers, who always saw him as one of their own.
“As speaker of the Sindh Assembly, he conducted the House with dignity, fairness, and remarkable patience even during times of intense political polarisation. He safeguarded parliamentary traditions and proved that politics, at its finest, is a matter of character and resilience.
“His services for democracy, constitutional continuity, provincial autonomy and political harmony will forever be remembered with great respect. Today, we do not just mourn a political leader, we mourn a committed democrat, an institutional figure and a true jiyala of Shaheed Bhutto’s mission.”
Beyond the Assembly walls, Durrani was admired as a man of the people. In Shikarpur, he was known not only as a lawmaker but also as a compassionate problem-solver — approachable, grounded and deeply connected to his constituents. He championed development projects, resolved local disputes and maintained a bond with PPP workers that went far beyond political convenience.
Agha Siraj Durrani’s life mirrored the evolution of Sindh’s political culture — from the martial law years to the era of democratic consolidation. He embodied the resilience of a generation that withstood persecution, imprisonment and propaganda, yet refused to abandon faith in democracy.
He is survived by a family that will inherit not only his name but also the immense political heritage of service, conviction and integrity. His colleagues and opponents alike agree that Agha Siraj Durrani was more than a politician — he was a custodian of parliamentary dignity and a steadfast believer in Pakistan’s democratic continuity.
His name will endure in Sindh’s political history — as a man who occupied the speaker’s chair longer than anyone before him, and whose calm authority and loyalty to democratic principles shaped an entire era of provincial politics.
The writer is an award-winning investigative journalist based in Lahore. He can be reached on X HassanNaqvi5.