New governor

In choosing Muhammad Zubair Umar, the chairman of the Privatisation Commission, as the governor of Sindh to replace the deceased Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, the PML-N has ensured that it has in place a loyal party member who is unlikely to be attacked by the other political parties. Zubair’s corporate background – he worked for technology giant IBM for nearly 30 years – will give him the backing of Karachi’s business community and he has cordial relations with the other political parties. Some of the other names that were touted for the position, such as Senator Mushahidullah Khan, have much longer affiliations with the PML-N and so would have been seen as too partisan. The office of governor is largely ceremonial, with few duties beyond attending ribbon-cuttings and signing legislation passed by the Sindh Assembly, but it does provide the occupant with a bully pulpit. And that is something Zubair – despite only having joined the PML-N a few years ago – has shown that he can use with gusto.

Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui was in office for too short a time to have left a mark but his predecessor Ishrat-ul-Ebad was the longest serving governor in the province’s history. Ebad was also the consummate insider who involved himself in disputes within the MQM, between it and the others and in the party’s problem with the establishment. Zubair, while far from a maverick, does not have the same links. This may make him better suited to act as a negotiator should Karachi flare up again. Although the city’s politics have been muted for the last few months, there is always a chance that rivalries will ignite. This is where the governor – ideally a man who is trusted by all – may have a role to play. The governorship may be a cosy sinecure given to Zubair but Karachi’s politics are so volatile it is difficult to predict if and when he may be thrust into the firing line. It is then that he will have to serve his province with the same passion he has shown his party.