Summary sent to president after bar council and political leaders demand governor’s removal
A file photo of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Nihal Hashmi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to appoint senior 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 forwarded the summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for formal approval of the appointment.
The statement added that Prime Minister Sharif also met Hashmi and congratulated him on his appointment as Sindh Governor.
The development comes amid growing criticism of outgoing Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori from legal bodies and political leaders over alleged political activities at the Governor’s House.
Last month, the Sindh Bar Council demanded Tessori’s immediate dismissal by President Zardari, saying political activities carried out at the Governor’s House violated the Constitution.
A resolution passed at the council’s 109th meeting on Feb. 21 declared that the governor’s “involvement in political activities and use of Governor House for political purposes constitutes a violation of the Constitution.”
“The House demands the immediate removal of the Governor of 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’s 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 claimed that the Governor’s House had been reduced to a “centre of 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 hateful and linguistically biased speeches made during a ceremony at the Governor’s House, calling the remarks deeply regrettable.
Sharjeel also criticized references made to state institutions during the event, saying such discussions were inappropriate for a constitutional agenda and compromised civic harmony.
He expressed concern that elected officials were using official platforms to deliver biased messages, adding that the incident – including MQM members addressing each other – threatened Karachi’s culture of peace and brotherhood.
