Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has nominated Nehal Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) for the position of Sindh governor, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The nomination has been forwarded to Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, for final approval.
Officials said the decision was made after a meeting between the prime minister and Hashmi at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad. Following the meeting, the premier sent a formal summary to the president recommending Hashmi for the key constitutional post in Sindh.
Hashmi previously served as a senator from 2015 to 2021, representing the ruling party in the upper house of parliament. His nomination comes amid ongoing speculation about the possible removal of the current Sindh governor, Kamran Tessori, who is affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P).
Political tensions between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and MQM-P — both coalition partners in the federal government — have intensified in recent months. The Sindh government had earlier raised concerns over Tessori’s role, with PPP leaders accusing him in 2024 of deepening political divisions between urban and rural areas of the province.
Reports about a potential change in the Sindh governor’s office have surfaced several times. In August last year, MQM-P leaders warned they could withdraw from the ruling coalition if Tessori was replaced. However, party leadership dismissed such reports again in late 2025.
The nomination is also linked to the political arrangement formed after the 2024 general elections, when PPP and PML-N agreed on a power-sharing framework to run the federal government. Under the agreement, PPP secured key positions including the presidency, Senate chairman, and deputy speaker of the National Assembly. In return, PML-N retained the authority to nominate governors for Sindh and Balochistan, while PPP would recommend governors for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
If approved by the president, Hashmi’s appointment would mark a significant political shift in Sindh’s gubernatorial leadership and could influence the dynamics among coalition partners at the federal level.
