Daily Times

Justice (R) Maqbool Baqar has been nominated as the eighth caretaker chief minister of Sindh.

After thorough deliberations between the Sindh Chief Minister and the opposition leader, the MQM Coordination Committee has reached a consensus on the nomination of Justice Retired Maqbool Baqar. Justice Maqbool Baqar is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He was born on April 5, 1957, in Karachi, Pakistan. He received his LL.B. degree from the University of Karachi in 1979.

Justice Baqar began his legal career as an advocate in the Sindh High Court in 1980. He served as a judge of the Sindh High Court from 2002 to 2015. In 2015, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Justice Baqar has written a number of important judgments, including the judgment in the case of Asif Zardari v. National Accountability Bureau, which held that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had exceeded its powers in the investigation of former President Asif Zardari. Justice Baqar also wrote the dissenting note in the case of Justice Qazi Faez Isa v. Federation of Pakistan, which held that the presidential reference against Justice Isa was politically motivated.

Justice Baqar retired from the Supreme Court on April 4, 2022. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of Karachi. Meanwhile, with the final stage of consultations for the selection of the caretaker chief minister of Balochistan currently underway, opposition leader Malik Sikandar held discussions with Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, however, a definitive decision on the appointment could not be reached. In the event of a lack of consensus on the caretaker chief minister’s name today, the matter will be referred to the parliamentary committee. Further consultations are planned for today (Tuesday), involving the chief minister and the opposition leader, to explore the formation of the caretaker set-up. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) has proposed the nomination of former National Assembly member Usman Badini, while the Balochistan National Party (BNP) has put forth Hamal Kalmati’s name as a potential interim CM.

The race for the caretaker chief minister position includes BAP senator Kauda Babar, PPP leader Mir Ali Hassan Zehri, former bureaucrat Shabbir Mengal, Pakistani ambassador to Sudan Mir Behrooz Riki, Naseer Bizenjo, and Ijaz Sanjrani, the brother of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. Additionally, Ali Mardan Domki, Jamal Raisani, and former provincial minister Prince Ahmad Ahmadzai are also reportedly under consideration.