Nehal Hashmi sworn in as Sindh governor

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Nehal Hashmi has been sworn in as the Sindh governor during an oath taking ceremony at the Governor House Karachi on Friday, Aaj News reported.

Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, Justice Zafar Rajput, administered him the oath. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers, officials from the Bar Council, and PML-N leaders, along with individuals from various walks of life, also attended the ceremony.

Nehal has been sworn in as the governor of Sindh, replacing Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P)’s Kamran Tessori, following President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval of his appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Speculation about a change at the Governor’s House had been mounting, with reports suggesting the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Sindh was dissatisfied with Tessori’s performance.

In addition, Tessori had been facing increasing scrutiny, with other political leaders and legal bodies criticising him for allegedly engaging in political activities from the Governor’s House, an office that is supposed to remain non-partisan.

Nehal hailing from Karachi’s Malir district has maintained a decades-long association with the PML-N.

The politico’s career began as a legal adviser to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from 1997 to 1999.

The PML-N leader later took on key leadership roles within the party, serving as president of the PML-N Karachi chapter in 2012 before being appointed general secretary for the Sindh chapter in 2014.

In 2015, he was elected to the Senate on a PML-N seat from Punjab. Although his party membership was briefly suspended in 2017, it was formally restored in 2021, marking his return to the party’s core political circle.