Public access is only restricted to the gardens of the Sindh Governor House and visitors are not allowed to enter the state building. Last Friday, following some basic security checks, 900 visitors were allowed inside the Governor House where they were free to explore some sections of the building including the office of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail was present on the occasion to welcome the visitors and show them around. However, after Friday, the visitors were not allowed inside the building. Reportedly, only the gardens of Governor House are open to visitors as of now. This has been the cause of disappointment among visitors who say that they could have visited one of Karachi’s many public parks if they wanted to be outdoors instead of visiting the Governor House. “The Governor House in Murree will open up from 10am to 6pm every day but Sindh Governor House only opens up for three hours on week days and two hours on Sunday,” lamented Farhan Ali, a visitor. “People have to wait in long queues to gain access and even then you are only allowed to see the gardens,” he added. “I think I have killed my time here. I especially brought a camera to take photos of historical items in the state building but since I cannot go inside, it’s all useless,” he complained. Last Friday, Governor Imran Ismail said that he would be present at least one day a week to welcome the visitors to Governor House. He also promised to set up a complaint office at Gate 4 of the state-building. However, the Governor did not visit the Governor House again and no complaint cell has been set up as of now. On the other hand, the Governor House spokesman told Daily Times that visitors were not allowed inside yet due to ‘security threats’. Alluding to the current law and order situation in the city and citing the rise of street crime, the spokesperson maintained that this step was crucial not just for the security of Governor House but also the safety of visitors. “Public will be allowed inside soon since we are planning on starting guided tours for them,” he said and added, “We don’t want the place to be disorganised and disorderly since that bothers visitors as well.” Published in Daily Times, September 14th 2018.