ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has recommended Nehal Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) for the position of Sindh governor, according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office on Thursday.
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The decision followed a meeting between the prime minister and Hashmi at the PM House earlier this week. After the meeting, the premier forwarded a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for final approval of the appointment.
A video released from the meeting showed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the prime minister’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah also in attendance.
Speculation about the possible removal of the current Sindh governor, Kamran Tessori of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P), has been circulating on social media for several days.
Tensions between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and MQM-P — both partners in the federal coalition — have increased in recent months, particularly after the Gul Plaza incident. The Sindh government has also expressed reservations about Tessori’s role since 2024.
In April 2024, the PPP accused Tessori of deepening political divisions in the province and urged the federal government to remove him from office. Later, in August, MQM-P warned it could withdraw from the coalition if Tessori was replaced, though party leaders dismissed similar rumors again in December 2025.
Following the 2024 general elections, PPP and PML-N formed a coalition government at the center with support from other parties. Under their agreement, PPP secured key constitutional positions, including the presidency, the Senate chairmanship, and the deputy speakership of the National Assembly.
As part of the arrangement, PML-N also supported the appointment of PPP nominees as governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the PPP allowed PML-N to nominate governors for Sindh and Balochistan.
Past controversy and disqualification
Hashmi previously served as a senator after being elected in 2015 on a PML-N ticket. However, his political career faced a setback after a controversial speech in May 2017.
In the speech, he criticized those investigating former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family during the corruption probe linked to the Panama Papers leak. The remarks led to widespread criticism and pressure within his own party.
Following the controversy, Hashmi initially resigned from the Senate but later withdrew the resignation, although PML-N had already revoked his party membership.
Taking notice of his remarks against investigators and the judiciary, then-Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar initiated suo motu proceedings.
In February 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan found Hashmi guilty of contempt of court. He was sentenced to one month in jail and disqualified from holding public office for five years.
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