Acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday formally approved the appointment of Nihal Hashmi as new Sindh governor.
Hashmi will take the oath as Sindh governor before Sindh High Court Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput.
The development came hours after PM Shehbaz forwarded a summary to the president for appointing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Hashmi as the Sindh governor.
According to the PM's Office, the prime minister sent the summary for Hashmi's approval as the Sindh governor to President Zardari.
The statement added that PM Shehbaz met Hashmi in Islamabad and congratulated him on his proposed appointment as the governor.
Hashmi will formally assume the office of the governor of Sindh and replace MQM-P's Kamran Khan Tessori.
Speculation about a change in the Sindh governorship has been circulating for some time, as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which rules Sindh, was reportedly unhappy with Tessori’s tenure.
Meanwhile, the MQM-P has begun consultations over the government’s decision to replace Tessori with Hashmi. According to sources, senior leaders of MQM-P are holding internal discussions to review the situation and formulate the party’s stance.
The sources added that the party is expected to issue its official reaction after completing internal consultations.
A spokesperson for MQM-P stated that the party was not taken into confidence by the federal government regarding the decision.
The spokesperson added that MQM-P will soon determine its future course of action after internal consultations over the matter.
Hailing from Karachi’s Malir, Hashmi has been associated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for several years. He served as adviser to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on law and justice from 1997 to 1999.
In 2012, he served as the president of PML-N’s Karachi chapter. Two years later, in August 2014, Hashmi, a lawyer by profession, was appointed general secretary of the party’s Sindh chapter.
In 2015, Hashmi — considered an active party worker — was elected as a Senate candidate of PML-N from a seat allocated to Punjab. His party membership was suspended in 2017 and later restored in 2021.
