ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Nihal Hashmi as the new Governor of Sindh. According to a statement issued by the Aiwan-e-Sadr Media Wing on Thursday.
The president granted approval to the summary for Hashmi’s appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under Articles 48 and 101 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The President also signed the Commission of Appointment and extended his congratulations and best wishes to Hashmi on his new role.
Nihal Hashmi will assume office after taking the oath before the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court.
Nihal Hashmi belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PLM-N).
Nihal Hashmi, born on January 28, 1960, is a Pakistani lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Senate of Pakistan from March 2015 to February 2018.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday nominated senior PML-N leader Nehal Hashmi as Sindh’s new governor, replacing Kamran Tessori of MQM-P amid growing political and legal criticism of the incumbent.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Prime Minister Sharif forwarded the summary of Hashmi’s appointment to President Asif Ali Zardari for formal approval.
The statement also confirmed that the prime minister met with Hashmi and congratulated him on his proposed appointment as Sindh’s new governor.
Once approved by the president, Hashmi will formally take office as Sindh’s governor, replacing Tessori.
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. Hashmi, born on 28 January 1960 into a Muhajir family with roots in Bihar, India, began his political career as a student leader and founded the All Pakistan Youth League, serving as its president before joining the PML-N in 1992.
He is widely regarded as a prominent criminal and constitutional lawyer, having started his legal practice in the late 1980s.
Hashmi is the managing partner of Nehal Hashmi Law Associates, a firm whose mentees include judges serving in the country’s sessions courts and high courts.
Early in his career, he gained public recognition for filing constitutional petitions on social, humanitarian, and public interest issues, earning the nickname “Mr. Petitioner.”
His legal portfolio includes involvement in high-profile cases such as the Murtaza Bhutto murder trial, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s 1999 NAB case, and the Russian hijacker case.
Hashmi served as adviser on law, justice, and human rights to the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif from 1997 to 1999.
Within the PML-N, he has held important positions, including president of the Karachi chapter in 2012 and general secretary of the Sindh chapter in 2014.
He was elected to the Senate of Pakistan on a general seat from Punjab in the 2015 elections and has served as adviser to the then prime minister on law, justice, and human rights.
Hashmi’s political career has been marked by controversy. In May 2017, his party membership was suspended, and he was asked to resign from the Senate for violating party discipline.
Following this, he initially resigned from the Senate but later withdrew his resignation after meeting the Senate chairman.
In February 2018, Hashmi was convicted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a contempt of court case, resulting in a one-month prison sentence and a five-year ban on holding public office.
He ceased to be a senator and was arrested on 1 February 2018, subsequently released from Adiala Jail on 28 February.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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