Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Nehal Hashmi, has sworn in as the new governor of Sindh on Friday, replacing Kamran Khan Tessori of Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P).
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Governor House Karachi, where Zafar Ahmed Rajput, Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, administered the oath.
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Several senior political leaders attended the ceremony, including Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh, and Murtaza Wahab, Mayor of Karachi. Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar and other provincial ministers were also present.
Senior PML-N leaders and workers attended the ceremony as well, including the party’s Sindh president Bashir Memon.
Appointment Approved by President
Hashmi took oath a day after Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, approved his appointment as the Sindh governor. The approval came on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had forwarded a summary recommending Hashmi for the post.
Who Is Nehal Hashmi? The newly nominated Governor of Sindh
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif also met Hashmi in Islamabad and congratulated him on his proposed appointment.
MQM-P Reaction
Sources said former governor Kamran Tessori left for Saudi Arabia earlier to perform Umrah and is expected to stay there for a few days.
Before leaving the country, Tessori thanked protocol staff and officials who came to the airport to see him off.
A spokesperson for MQM-P said the party was not taken into confidence by the federal government regarding the decision. The spokesperson added that the party would decide its future course of action after internal consultations.
Political Background
Nehal Hashmi, who belongs to Karachi’s Malir area, has been associated with the ruling PML-N for many years. A lawyer by profession, he served as an adviser to former PM Nawaz Sharif on law and justice between 1997 and 1999.
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In 2012, Hashmi became president of the PML-N Karachi chapter. Two years later, in August 2014, he was appointed general secretary of the party’s Sindh chapter.
In 2015, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan on a seat allocated to Punjab. His party membership was suspended in 2017 but later restored in 2021.
