PM nominates PML-N’s Nihal Hashmi for appointment as Sindh new governor

2026-03-12 - 07:44

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Office nominated Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nihal Hashmi as the new Governor of Sindh, the officials confirmed on Thursday. The Prime Minister’s Office said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has forwarded the summary for the appointment to the President of Pakistan for final approval. The prime minister also met with Nihal Hashmi to congratulate him on his new role. Senior leaders, including Rana Sanaullah and Ishaq Dar, were present during the meeting. Nihal Hashmi’s political journey: A native of Karachi, Nihal Hashmi has been associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for decades. He served as Advisor for Law and Justice to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from 1997 to 1999. In 2012, he became President of PML-N in Karachi and was later appointed General Secretary of the party’s Sindh chapter in August 2014. In 2015, Hashmi was nominated as a Senate candidate from Punjab by PML-N. He faced a temporary setback in 2017 when he was expelled from the party over a controversial statement related to the Panama Papers case, but his membership was reinstated in 2021. Currently, Kamran Tessori of MQM Pakistan is serving as the Governor of Sindh. Hashmi’s appointment marks a significant political move for the ruling party in the province. Sindh’s political landscape has been stirred by criticism of former Governor Kamran Tessori, with nationalist leaders accusing him of promoting ethnic politics from the Governor House. The controversy emerged following an event attended by leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). Qaumi Awami Tehreek leader Ayaz Latif Palijo said the Governor House had been turned into a “hub for conspiracies against Sindh and Pakistan,” warning that actions undermining Sindh’s interests could threaten the country’s unity. The next day, Sindh Senior Minister and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon criticised what he described as biased and inflammatory speeches delivered during the same ceremony. He condemned references to state institutions, saying such discussions were inappropriate for a constitutional office and undermined civic harmony. Sharjeel Inam Memon expressed concern over elected officials allegedly using official platforms to convey partisan or ethnic messages, stressing that incidents like this — particularly involving MQM members addressing one another — could erode Karachi’s longstanding culture of peace and brotherhood.