KARACHI: Belonging to well-known landlord and business family of Matiyari district (formerly Hyderabad), Athar Bahzad Memon son of Ghulam Mohammad (late) was born on July 5, 1978 in New Hala. His father owned agricultural lands, petrol pumps and rice mills.

Athar Bahzad Memon has three brothers and two sisters and all of them are well-educated and well settled.

Mr Bahzad received his primary education from Makhdoom Ameen Faheem Primary School, Hala while he completed his secondary education from the MG Government Secondary School, Hala. He clinched A-1 grades from the Board of Secondary Education Hyderabad in 1991.

He passed his intermediate from the S.I Government Degree College, Hala, affiliated with the Board of Intermediate Education Hyderabad in 1993. Yet again, he grabbed A-1 grades.

Mr Athar remained genius student in school, as well as, in the college who was admired by his teachers following his decent personality and soft-spoken attitude. He also won many writing competitions.

Mr Memon got admission in the most premier educational institution – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology – Jamshoro from where he completed his Bachelors of Engineering (B.E) in Civil in 1999. Again, he outshined in the university and grabbed top position.

In the meantime, Athar also did his Masters of Arts (MA) in Sindhi from prestigious University of Sindh. He also did another Masters of Arts (MA) in International Relations from University of Sindh.

Athar Bahzad Memon had contributed several articles on national and international issues in the local dailies which were widely read and lauded.

Soon after finishing his university education, Athar Bahzad Memon returned to his hometown and joined his family business for few years. In the meanwhile, he also started preparation for the most competitive examination to become a civil servant to serve people of the province.

In 2003, Athar Bahzad appeared and qualified the competitive examination held by the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) with flying colours. He was allocated in Provincial Secretariat Service (PSS).

After joining the Sindh Government in 2005, Athar Bahzad went for necessary training to Nipa and to Bangladesh.

Firstly, Mr Bahzad was posted as Section Officer in Health Department. He also worked as DDO Coordination under the dynamic leadership of senior bureaucrat Usman Chachar. He also served at DCO Secretariat, Matiyari district for some time.

Memon also worked as Section Officer (General) in Sindh’s irrigation department where he had served for some ten months. 

In 2013, Athar Bahzad was posted as Deputy Director, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) at Hyderabad. Later, he was posted as Deputy Secretary, Bureau of Supply and Prices, Agriculture Department where he worked with utmost dedication and commitment.

In 2017, Athar was promoted to BS-18 and posted as Deputy Secretary (Resource Wing), Finance Department where he had worked for long time. He had also worked as Deputy Secretary (Development-I, II) of the Finance Department for some four years.

Later, he was posted as Director of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) program. In 2003, Mr Athar Bahzad Memon was promoted to BS-19 and posted as Director General, Monitoring and Evaluation Cell, Planning and Development Department.

Presently, Athar is serving as the most important responsibility as Additional Secretary, Planning and Development Department of the Sindh Government.

KARACHI: Badaruddin Daudpoto son of Qamaruddin Daudpoto was born on March 1, 1977 in Ghotki, the bordering district which connects Sindh with Punjab. He has six sisters and a brother and all of them are well-educated and well settled.

Badar’s father had served the Sindh Police who also owned different businesses including petrol pumps, agricultural lands, transport etc.

Mr Badar received his education from the most prominent educational institution – Public School Sukkur – and passed the matriculation from the Board of Secondary Education Sukkur in 1992. He clinched A1 grades.

Similarly, Badar cleared his intermediate from the Board of Intermediate Education, Sukkur, in 1994. Yet again he secured good grades.

Badaruddin Daudpoto was an extra genius student throughout his education who always took active participation in writing and debate competitions. He was well-known for his sportsman energy who played squash and football.

Badar also represented Board of Intermediate Education Sukkur at Islamabad and won medals. He also represented his team at All Sindh Inter Public School Weak which was organized by the Hyderabad Public School.

With an objective to do extraordinary in life, Mr Badar moved to Hyderabad, the second largest city of Sindh province, where he got admission in the most premier educational institution – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology – Jamshoro. He did his Bachelors of Engineering (B.E) in Civil in 2000 and grabbed 1st Division.

With an engineering degree, Badaruddin joined AA Associates, a consultant firm at the project of Attock Cement Factory as Junior Engineer where he had served for couple of years.

He also worked as Site Engineer in Siemens Pakistan at Desalination Plant of Defense Housing Authority (DHA). He also served as Project Engineer in Siemens Pakistan at Bhitt Jabal Gas Field.

He also worked as Project Head of M/s Telenor in Sindh province and supervised the overall network layout works. Once again, he joined AA Associates the project of Attock Cement Factory where he had served as Assistant Resident Engineer.

Badaruddin Daudpoto joined the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) in September 2012 as Senior Building Inspector.

While serving the most important institution, Mr Badar had served in Saddar Town-II, Gulshan Town-II, Shah Faisal Town, District East etc.

He had also assisted his seniors in multiple tasks aimed at strengthening the institution and to facilitate people of the province.

On the sidelines on his job, Badaruddin Daudpoto also got admission in Pakistan’s top education institution – NED University of Engineering and Technology – from where he completed his Masters of Urban & Regional Planning in 2015 and maintained 3.5 GPA.

He also clinched First Position in departmental examination conducted by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). Apart from the outstanding career, Badaruddin Daudpoto also carries distinct diploma from Pakistan Institute of Management in 2019. He also did One Week Course in Aerodrome and Safeguarding from the Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI), Hyderabad.

KARACHI: Born into a prominent agriculturist and business family on June 5, 1972, Muhammad Mushtaq Ibrahim Soomro hails from Shah Panjo Sultan, a small village in Mehar taluka, district Dadu. Mushtaq’s father, Muhammad Ibrahim Soomro was a senior bureaucrat who served the Sindh Government for decades. He has three brothers and two sisters, all highly educated and well settled.

Mushtaq received his primary education from the renowned NJV School. He completed his matriculation with A-grade from Abbasi Academy, Bahadurabad, affiliated with the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) in 1987.

He then moved to Hyderabad, where he completed his intermediate education with another A-grade from the prestigious Public School Hyderabad under the Board of Intermediate Education Hyderabad in 1989. He was a bright student known for his active participation in extracurricular activities, Mushtaq won several awards for his writing skills.

With a vision to pursue a distinctive career, Mushtaq secured admission to Pakistan’s premier engineering university, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) in 1996, once again achieving 2nd position.

Upon completing his university education, he was offered a lecturer position at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro. Simultaneously, Mushtaq cleared a competitive selection process and joined the then Karachi Building Control Authority as Assistant Controller of Buildings (BS-17) in 1998, an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Local Government and Housing Town Planning Department.

Initially posted at Circle D, Mushtaq later served in the Design Section and gained field experience in building rules and regulations for five years. In 2003, he was appointed officiating deputy director. In 2011, with the formation of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Mushtaq served as Deputy Director in various regions, including Larkana. He held positions such as Deputy Director Gulshan Town-I, Deputy Director Saddar Town-II, and Deputy Director Gulshan Town-II.

Finally promoted to BS-18 in 2014, Mushtaq served as Regional Director for the Larkana Region and Deputy Director (Coordination), SBCA HQ, Karachi. During this period, he also pursued and completed his semesters of Masters in Regional & City Planning from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), pending thesis submission due to official commitments.

In 2019, he was promoted to BS-19 and firstly posted as Director of Research and Regulations. Recognised for his integrity and dedication, Mushtaq has held multiple roles in BS-19, including Director Administration, Maintenance, Research and Regulations, Procurement, Finance and Accounts and Licensing and Records.

In October 2022, owing to his expertise in legal matters, building bylaws, and urban town planning, his services were retained by the Local Government and Housing Town Planning Department, Government of Sindh, where he undertook several special assignments.

Following a brief stint, Having Diploma in Leadership & Management and Finance & Accounts, Mushtaq Soomro returned to SBCA in September 2023 as Director Administration and Finance, HQ, and Regional Director for the Hyderabad Region. Presently, he is performing duties as Transition Officer (industries) in the SBCA, assisting in formulating rules and regulations for the industrial sector alongside his primary role as Director Administration and Finance having office at SBCA HQ Karachi.

Mushtaq has had an impressive array of service credentials at SBCA, including serving as SBCA’s Focal Person and liaison officer for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for many years. He has been member of the committee notified for the draft Service regulations of SBCA. He has also been the Coordinator and Head of the SBCA Reforms Committee, instrumental in introducing the stage-wise ‘Single Window (paper-less) Facility’ for online processing of construction permits under the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Programme.

Mushtaq has also been a Member of the Standing Committee on Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations (KB&TPR) and has played a pivotal role as Focal Person and Member of the team of technical draftsmen for the legislation and framework of the newly formed Sindh Master Plan Authority. His contributions also include technical drafting of the Sindh High Density Development Board Rules and serving as the Focal Person for the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction, and Development (NCCHCD) / Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority.

Additionally, he has chaired the Committee on One Window Operations at Khairpur Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) in alignment with the SBCO / KB&TPR, based on proposals from the Investment Department, Government of Sindh. He has been also member of the technical committee assigned the task to prepare energy conservation building code of Pakistan by National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

Additionally, he has been key member of the committee who drafted the Regional building and town planning regulations for the other regions of SBCA except Karachi. He is also visiting faculty member at Pakistan Institute of Management. In the face of challenges, Mushtaq has proven to be an impediment for the old guard with his unwavering commitment to excellence. Despite facing continuous pressures and defamation attempts, he has consistently demonstrated steadfast dedication in carrying out his official duties.