President Zardari approves Nehal Hashmi as Sindh Governor

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the appointment of Nehal Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as the new governor of Sindh, replacing Kamran Tessori of Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P).

According to a statement posted on the Presidency’s official X account, the president approved Hashmi’s appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Articles 48 and 101 of Pakistan’s Constitution.

“The Commission of Appointment has been signed. He will take oath before the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court,” the statement added.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office Pakistan said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to nominate Hashmi for the post and forwarded a summary to President Zardari for final approval.

According to the PMO, the premier met Hashmi at the Prime Minister House earlier this week and decided to recommend his name for the governorship. A video of the meeting showed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the prime minister’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah present on the occasion.

The move triggered strong reactions from MQM-P leaders. Speaking to Geo News, senior MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar said the party had not been taken into confidence regarding the removal of Tessori and described the decision as a “clear message” that the federal government no longer required the party’s support.

Sattar said the party leadership, including chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, learned about the development through the media and had not received any prior information or consultation from the government.

“This was a clear message to us by PM Shehbaz that they don’t need us anymore,” Sattar said, adding that the party would soon decide its response to the development.

He said the MQM-P should consider the issue a “red line” and review its participation in the federal coalition, noting that the governorship of Sindh had been part of the party’s agreement with PML-N when it joined the government.

Responding to a question about whether the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had pressured the government to remove Tessori, Sattar said MQM-P had an agreement only with the PML-N and not with the PPP.

Meanwhile, MQM-P Punjab coordinator Zahid Malik said discussions about replacing Tessori had been ongoing for a couple of months, though Hashmi’s appointment came as a surprise. He claimed the PPP wanted the change because Tessori’s public outreach in Sindh was affecting the provincial government’s image.

Relations between the PPP and MQM-P have remained strained in recent months despite both parties being part of the federal coalition. The PPP had earlier criticised Tessori’s role as governor, accusing him of creating political divisions in Sindh.

Following the 2024 Pakistani general election, the PPP and PML-N agreed on a cooperation framework to form the federal government. Under the arrangement, the PPP secured key positions including the presidency, the Senate chairmanship and the National Assembly deputy speakership.

As part of the understanding, the PML-N agreed to appoint PPP nominees as governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the PPP supported PML-N’s right to nominate governors in Sindh and Balochistan.