PM Shehbaz recommends PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi as Sindh governor

ISLAMABAD: In a surprise move on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to appoint PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi as Sindh governor, according to a statement released from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

According to the PMO, PM Shehbaz met Hashmi at PM House on Tuesday and decided to nominate him as the governor of Sindh.

The premier has forwarded a summary in this regard to President Asif Ali Zardari for the final nod.

A video of the meeting with Hashmi showed Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and PM’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah present on the occasion.

The news of the removal of incumbent Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), has been circulating on social media for a few days.

While matters have been heated in recent months between the ruling PPP and MQM-P — both allies in the federal government — especially since the Gul Plaza incident, there have been concerns from the Sindh government since 2024 about Tessori’s role as the governor.

In April 2024, the PPP accused Tessori of “creating a political divide and further widening the gap between urban and rural areas of Sindh” and asked the PML-N-led government in the Centre to remove him from the post.

Then in August, amid reports that the Centre was considering replacing Tessori, the MQM-P threatened to quit the federal coalition government.

In December 2025, the MQM-P leadership shrugged off rumours about the possible removal of Tessori.

After the 2024 general elections, PPP and PML-N — with the support of other parties — had agreed on a cooperation mechanism to form a coalition government at the Centre.

As part of the deal, PPP has already got the posts of president, Senate chairman and National Assembly deputy speaker. PML-N also agreed to appoint PPP leaders as governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In return, PPP had agreed to the PML-N’s right to appoint its nominees in Sindh and Balochistan as governors.

Suo-motu against Nehal Hashmi and disqualification

Veteran politician Hashmi last served as a PML-N senator after his election in March 2015.

A controversial speech the PML-N senator made in May 2017 had landed him in hot water, culminating in his disqualification in February 2018.

Hashmi’s controversial speech had landed him in hot water, as he was directed by his PML-N to tender his resignation from the Senate — which he later withdrew — while the party revoked his party membership.

On May 31, 2017, Hashmi resigned hours after a video surfaced showing him lashing out at “those investigating” then-PM Nawaz Sharif and his family. However, he later withdrew that resignation, although the PML-N had already revoked his party membership.

Hashmi’s outburst, which appeared to reflect the party’s conviction of the JIT’s partiality, included the warning: “Those who are scrutinising them [Sharif and his sons], we will not spare you.”

“Those grilling [the family] … [be warned that] we will arrange the day of judgment for you.”

“You are making the life of the prime minister difficult; the Pakistani nation will make it difficult for you to live,” he had warned, without taking any names.

Then-Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of Hashmi’s anti-judiciary speeches.

Eight months after his tirade against the judiciary, the Supreme Court convicted the PML-N senator of committing contempt of court and sent him to jail for one month, besides disqualifying him from holding any public office for five years.