President greenlights Nehal Hashmi's appointment as Sindh governor

• Hashmi will replace Tessori.
• Speculation about change arose last year
• Hashmi has served as adviser to ex-PM Nawaz.

President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Nehal Hashmi as Sindh governor, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

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 the president.

The statement added that PM Shehbaz met Hashmi in Islamabad and congratulated him on his proposed appointment as the governor.

Hashmi will replace MQM-P's Kamran Khan Tessori as Sindh governor.

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.

The oath-taking ceremony of the newly appointed Sindh governor will be held at the Governor's House in Karachi today (Friday) at 4pm.

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput will administer the oath to Hashmi in a ceremony, which is expected to be attended by government officials, political leaders and other dignitaries.

Speaking to the media, Hashmi said he would perform his duties in accordance with the Constitution.

"I will play my role according to the Constitution. This is a bed of thorns," he remarked.

The newly appointed governor also expressed gratitude to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz for entrusting him with the position of Sindh governor.

Meanwhile, outgoing Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori has left for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. According to sources, Tessori will stay in the kingdom for a few days and will also visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

Before his departure, Tessori thanked protocol staff and officials who came to the airport to see him off.

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.