In a strange turn of events, Awais Qadir Shah, the acting Governor of Sindh, found himself locked out of the Governor House, unable to access his official duties. This episode also saw the Inspector General of Police and the Home Secretary left stranded outside the premises. Awais Qadir Shah has since approached the constitutional court, claiming his right to exercise his constitutional duties. The court has responded swiftly, ordering the immediate opening of Governor House offices.

The controversy followed the acting Governor of Sindh’s attempt to convene a key gathering on law and order (Aman o Aman), in the Governor House. Although a day’s notice had been given in advance, he discovered that the offices were shut, with no staff in sight, when he arrived Friday morning. Upon inquiry, the Principal Secretary reportedly stated that the Governor had taken the keys, leading to this peculiar predicament.

The core issue of the matter is the constitutional mandate that the Governor’s office, being a high constitutional office, cannot be vacant at any cost. The acting Governor’s failure to uphold his assigned offices is a first-of-a-kind scenario in the history of the province.

Mr. Awais Qadir Shah was swift to label this as a violation of the constitution, leading to his emergency appeal before the constitutional court. The court’s prompt hearing resulted in a directive to grant access to all offices, excluding residential areas. A report on the issue is to be submitted by June 23.

On the other hand, Governor House spokesperson asserted that an office was already arranged for the acting Governor. They suggested that if the central office was needed, prior notice would have enabled arrangements to be made. In the meantime, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori directed the Principal Secretary to hold a complete investigation into the incident within 24 hours, in an attempt to unravel this unprecedented shut-down.