ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has forwarded a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for the appointment of Nehal Hashmi as the governor of Sindh.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier sent the summary seeking formal approval from the president for Hashmi’s appointment. The prime minister also met Hashmi in Islamabad and congratulated him on his proposed nomination.

Once the president grants approval, Nehal Hashmi will formally assume office as the Sindh governor, replacing Kamran Khan Tessori of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.

Speculation regarding a possible change in the Sindh governorship had been circulating for some time, with reports suggesting that the Pakistan Peoples Party — which governs Sindh — was dissatisfied with Tessori’s tenure.

Meanwhile, the MQM-P has initiated internal consultations following the government’s decision to replace Tessori with Hashmi. Sources said senior party leaders are reviewing the situation and formulating their stance on the development.

A spokesperson for the MQM-P said the party had not been taken into confidence by the federal government regarding the decision, adding that the party would announce its official response after completing internal consultations.

Hailing from Malir in Karachi, Hashmi has been associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for many years. He served as adviser to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on law and justice from 1997 to 1999.

In 2012, Hashmi served as president of the PML-N’s Karachi chapter. Two years later, in August 2014, the lawyer-turned-politician was appointed general secretary of the party’s Sindh chapter.

In 2015, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan on a PML-N seat allocated to Punjab. His party membership was suspended in 2017 and later restored in 2021.