The Chief Secretary of Sindh is the official head of the Sindh Secretariat and their principal workplace is located there, being its highest-ranking official. The
official residence of the Chief Secretary Sindh is the Chief Secretary House, also known as Hardley House. The residence is a part of the Red Zone and is also used as the Chief Secretary's official Camp Office. The completion of the Chief Secretary's House was in 1846, shortly after the British annexation of Sindh in 1843. This makes it one of the oldest surviving colonial-era structures in Karachi. Over the decades as the administrative needs of the British Raj and later the Government of Pakistan grew, the building underwent several expansions and renovations while retaining its core historical footprint.
Architectural style and layout Colonial architecture: The building is a classic, fine specimen of British colonial architecture in the subcontinent. It reflects the grand, stately style utilized by the British for high-ranking administrative officers. Materials: Like many of Karachi's prominent heritage buildings from that era, it is constructed using locally sourced yellow Gizri sandstone and features high ceilings and wide verandas designed to combat the local heat. Dual functionality: Beyond being a private residence, the Chief Secretary House traditionally serves a vital role as a camp office. It is used to host high-level administrative meetings, official dinners, and gatherings of top-tier civil servants, politicians and diplomats. Before being the Chief Secretary's residence, the house was resided by
Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto while he was serving as Chief Advisor to the Governor during the cruisial period of Sindh's separation from the Bombay Presidency. The house was later resided by his son,
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the fourth
President and ninth
Prime Minister of Pakistan. Hardley House was also the official residence of
Chief Ministers of Sindh till 1955. Afterwards in 1970, the house became the official home to Chief Secretaries. The Chief Secretary House is located in Club Road, Civil Lines. ==List of Chief Secretaries of Sindh==