ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to nominate Nehal Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as the new governor of Sindh, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The decision was made during a meeting between the premier and Hashmi at the Prime Minister House on Tuesday. Following the meeting, the prime minister forwarded a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for final approval.
Speculation about the removal of current Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P), had been circulating on social media for several days.
Tensions between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and MQM-P — both allies in the federal coalition — have intensified in recent months, particularly after the Gul Plaza incident. Since 2024, the Sindh government has also expressed reservations about Tessori’s role as governor.
In April 2024, the PPP accused Tessori of deepening political divisions in Sindh and widening the gap between urban and rural areas. The party had urged the PML-N-led federal government to remove him from office.
Later in August, reports suggesting that the Centre was considering replacing Tessori prompted the MQM-P to warn it might withdraw from the federal coalition. However, in December 2025, the party dismissed rumours regarding his possible removal.
Following the 2024 general elections, the PPP and PML-N agreed on a power-sharing arrangement to form a coalition government at the Centre with support from other parties. Under the agreement, the PPP secured key positions including the presidency, Senate chairman and deputy speaker of the National Assembly. The PML-N, in turn, supported PPP nominees for the governorships of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while retaining the right to appoint governors in Sindh and Balochistan.
Past controversy and disqualification
Hashmi previously served as a PML-N senator after being elected in March 2015. However, he became embroiled in controversy following a speech in May 2017 that targeted officials investigating then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.
After a video of the speech surfaced, the PML-N leadership asked him to resign from the Senate and revoked his party membership. Hashmi initially submitted his resignation on May 31, 2017, but later withdrew it.
His remarks, which warned investigators of consequences for scrutinising the Sharif family, led to strong criticism and legal action. The then chief justice, Mian Saqib Nisar, took suo motu notice of the speech.
In February 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan convicted Hashmi of contempt of court. He was sentenced to one month in jail and disqualified from holding public office for five years.
If approved by the president, Hashmi will replace Tessori as the governor of Sindh.