Islamabad, March 12, 2026: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nihal Hashmi as the new governor of Sindh, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to official sources, Hashmi will take oath as the Sindh governor before Sindh High Court Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput.
The development came hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz forwarded a summary to the president recommending Hashmi’s appointment as the provincial governor. The Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan said the premier also met Hashmi in Islamabad and congratulated him on his proposed appointment.
Hashmi will replace Kamran Khan Tessori, who had been serving as Sindh governor as a nominee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
The decision comes amid ongoing speculation about a change in the Sindh governorship, with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which governs the province, reportedly expressing reservations about Tessori’s tenure.
Following the development, MQM-P leadership began consultations to review the situation and determine the party’s response. Sources said senior party leaders were holding internal discussions before issuing an official reaction.
A spokesperson for MQM-P said the party had not been taken into confidence by the federal government regarding the decision and added that the party would announce its future course of action after completing consultations.
Hailing from Karachi’s Malir area, Nihal Hashmi has long been associated with the PML-N. He served as adviser to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on law and justice from 1997 to 1999.
In 2012, Hashmi was appointed president of the party’s Karachi chapter. He later became general secretary of PML-N’s Sindh chapter in 2014.
In 2015, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan on a seat allocated to Punjab. His party membership was suspended in 2017 but was restored in 2021.
