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KARACHI: Former speaker of the Sindh Assembly and senior PPP leader Agha Siraj Durrani passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged illness, his family and the Sindh government said. He was 72.
He is survived by his wife, son Agha Shahbaz Khan, and four daughters.
Family sources said Mr Durrani had been admitted to a private hospital a few weeks ago after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Born in Shikarpur district in 1953, Mr Durrani belonged to a prominent political family of Sindh.
His father, Agha Sadaruddin Durrani, was a seasoned politician who served as both deputy speaker and speaker of the Sindh Assembly during the governments of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s.
President Zardari, PM Shehbaz, Bilawal pay tribute to PPP leader’s political and public services
A staunch PPP loyalist, Agha Sadaruddin passed on his political legacy to his sons.
Mr Durrani received his early education at St. Patrick’s School, Karachi, completing his matriculation in 1971.
He later earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree and pursued law at Sindh Muslim Law College, obtaining his LLB.
His formal political career began in the mid-1980s when he, along with his elder brother Agha Salahuddin, contested the 1985 non-party general elections held under the military regime of Gen Ziaul Haq, though they were unsuccessful.
Once considered a close aide to President Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Durrani served two consecutive terms as speaker of the Sindh Assembly — from 2013 to 2018 and from 2018 to 2023.
Soon after the news of his demise, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, along with former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, ministers Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Saeed Ghani and Ismail Rahu, MPAs Imtiaz Shaikh, Syed Qasim Naveed and Qasim Soomro, MNA Khawaja Izhar and Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, visited his residence to offer condolences to the bereaved family.
Condolence messages
President Zardari, in a statement, paid tribute to Mr Durrani’s political and public services, noting his role in strengthening democracy and serving the people of Sindh.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged Mr Durrani contributions as Sindh Assembly speaker and his services to politics and public welfare.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in his condolence message, described Mr Durrani as “a loyal aide of my mother” and expressed deep sympathies with the bereaved family.
He paid tribute to Mr Durrani’s political and public services, saying his struggle for democracy would always be remembered.
“He was a symbol of patience and grace — his passing marks the end of an era,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari added.
“Sindh has lost a towering political figure, a loyal friend, and a principled parliamentarian. His absence has created a void that will be very hard to fill,” a statement issued by the CM House quoted Murad Ali Shah as saying.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab called Mr Durrani “an honourable man” who struggled for democracy and peace.
According to the CM House, Murad Ali Shah personally supervised arrangements for the transportation of Mr Durrani’s body to his ancestral town, Garhi Yasin in district Shikarpur, where he would be laid to rest.
Waseem Shamsi in Sukkur also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2025
