Summary sent to president after bar council and political leaders demand governor’s removal
A file photograph of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Nihal Hashmi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to appoint politician Nihal Hashmi as the new governor of Sindh and sent a summary to the president for approval, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the media wing of the prime minister’s office, the prime minister sent the summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for formal approval of the appointment.
Prime Minister Sharif also met Hashmi and congratulated him on his appointment as Governor of Sindh, the statement added.
The development comes amid growing criticism of current Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori by legal bodies and political leaders for alleged political activities in the Governor House.
Last month, the Sindh Bar Council demanded President Zardari’s immediate removal of Tessori, declaring that political activities carried out at the Governor’s House violated the Constitution.
A resolution adopted during the council’s 109th meeting on Feb. 21 declared that the governor’s “participation in political activities and use of the Governor’s House for political activities violates the Constitution.”
“The House demands the immediate removal of Governor Sindh as he has proven himself unfit to represent the federation,” the resolution said.
Also read: Sindh Bar Council demands immediate dismissal 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 integrity of the country.
A day later, Sindh Chief Minister and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon condemned what he called hate-filled and linguistically biased speeches delivered during a ceremony at the Governor House, describing the comments as deeply regrettable.
Sharjeel also criticized 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 spread biased messages, adding that the incident – particularly when MQM members targeted each other – threatened Karachi’s culture of peace and brotherhood.
