PM nominates Nihal Hashmi as Sindh governor amid mounting criticism of Tessori

Summary sent to president after bar council and political leaders demand governor’s removal

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to appoint senior PML-N leader Nihal Hashmi as the new governor of Sindh and has sent a summary to the president for approval, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the PM Office Media Wing, the prime minister forwarded the summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for formal approval of the appointment.

The statement added that Prime Minister Sharif also met Hashmi and congratulated him on his nomination as governor of Sindh.

*نہال ہاشمی کو گورنر سندھ تعینات کرنے کا فیصلہ*

*وزیراعظم شہباز شریف نے سمری منظوری کے لئے صدر پاکستان کو بھجوا دی.*

وزیر اعظم کی نہال ہاشمی سے ملاقات اور گورنر سندھ تعیناتی پر مبارکباد. pic.twitter.com/Z44NLqqfCy

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) March 12, 2026

The development comes amid growing criticism of incumbent Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori from legal bodies and political leaders over alleged political activities at the Governor House.

Last month, the Sindh Bar Council demanded the immediate removal of Tessori by President Zardari, declaring that political activities conducted at the Governor House were in violation of the Constitution.

A resolution adopted during the council’s 109th meeting on February 21 stated that the governor’s “involvement in political activities and using Governor House for political activities is in violation of the Constitution.”

“The House demands immediate removal of the Governor Sindh as he has proved himself unfit for representing the federation,” the resolution said.

Also read: Sindh Bar Council demands immediate removal of Governor Kamran Tessori

On February 20, Sindhi nationalist leaders also accused Tessori of turning the Governor House into a platform for what they described as ethnic politics following an event attended by leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Qaumi Awami Tehreek leader Ayaz Latif Palijo alleged that the Governor House had been reduced to a “centre for hatching conspiracies against Sindh and Pakistan,” warning that any attempt to undermine Sindh posed a threat to the country’s integrity.

A day later, Sindh Senior Minister and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon condemned what he called hateful and linguistically biased speeches delivered during a ceremony at the Governor House, describing the remarks as deeply regrettable.

Sharjeel also criticised references made to state institutions during the event, saying such discussions were inappropriate for a constitutional platform and undermined civic harmony.

He expressed concern over elected representatives using official platforms to deliver biased messages, adding that the incident – particularly involving MQM members addressing one another – threatened Karachi’s culture of peace and brotherhood.

Hashmi’s membership of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) was revoked in 2017 by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif after he made statements critical of the judiciary at a public gathering in Karachi. He had submitted his resignation from the Senate following the controversy but later withdrew it. Hashmi served as a senator from 2015 to 2021.

During subsequent proceedings, Hashmi was required to issue an unconditional apology to the judiciary for his remarks. In 2018, he was convicted of contempt of court, sentenced to one month in jail and disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan from holding public office for five years.