Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senior leader Nehal Hashmi was sworn in as the 35th governor of Sindh during a ceremony at the Governor House, Karachi, on Friday.
The oath of office was administered by Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput, chief justice of the Sindh High Court. The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister of State Khel Das Kohistani, provincial ministers Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Nasir Hussain Shah and Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Sindh PML-N President Bashir Memon, along with members of the national and provincial assemblies, the inspector general of police, Sindh, senior officials and party workers.
Syed Asif Hyder Shah, the chief secretary of Sindh, conducted the proceedings of the ceremony. Participants congratulated the newly sworn-in governor on assuming office, while party workers chanted slogans in favour of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz after the oath-taking.
Born in Karachi on January 28, 1960, Hashmi is a prominent lawyer and a seasoned politician. He began practising law in the late 1980s and earlier founded a political organisation called the All Pakistan Youth League during his student years.
He formally joined the Pakistan Muslim League-N in 1992 and served as adviser on law, justice and human rights to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from 1997 to 1999. Hashmi also played an important legal role in several high-profile cases, including those related to Nawaz Sharif and the tribunal concerning Murtaza Bhutto.
He later served as president of the PML-N Karachi in 2012 and was appointed general secretary of the party in Sindh in August 2014. Hashmi became a member of the Senate of Pakistan in March 2015 and served until February 2018.
In 2017, he was expelled from the party over a controversial statement linked to the Panama Papers case in Pakistan, but his party membership was restored in 2021. In February 2018, he was sentenced to one month in prison and fined Rs50,000 in a contempt of court case, resulting in the termination of his Senate membership and a five-year disqualification. He was released after completing his sentence.
The federal government, led by PML-N, has appointed him governor of Sindh in recognition of his political services. After taking the oath, Governor Hashmi visited the Mazar-e-Quaid, where he laid a floral wreath and offered Fateha at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, he paid tribute to Jinnah, saying the nation owed its independence to his leadership and struggle. He also praised the vision of Nawaz Sharif and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Hashmi said his party had a comprehensive programme for the development in Sindh and pledged to work for the progress of the entire province from Karachi to Ubauro. He emphasised that political issues should be resolved through dialogue rather than confrontation.
He also stated that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan remained an ally of the PML-N and expressed confidence that any differences could be resolved amicably. The governor added that he had already spoken with former governor Kamran Tessori by telephone.
Hashmi further said that the scope of the Prime Minister Youth Programme, including the laptop scheme, would be expanded in Sindh.
Soon after assuming office, Governor Hashmi began his first public engagement with a visit to the headquarters of the Edhi Foundation in the Mithadar area of Karachi.
During the visit, he shared an iftar meal with children at the foundation and described the experience as a moment of great happiness. He appreciated the humanitarian work of the organisation and said the spirit of compassion and mutual love should continue, particularly during the holy month of Ramazan.
Speaking on the occasion, Faisal Edhi thanked the governor for visiting the organisation and urged him, in his capacity as the federal representative, to continue paying special attention to the needs and development of Karachi.
