President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Nihal Hashmi as Sindh governor, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Hashmi will take the oath as Sindh governor before Sindh High Court Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput.
The development came hours after PM Shehbaz forwarded a summary to the president for appointing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Hashmi as the Sindh governor.
According to the PM’s Office, the prime minister sent the summary for Hashmi’s approval as the Sindh governor to the president.
The statement added that PM Shehbaz met Hashmi in Islamabad and congratulated him on his proposed appointment as the governor.
Hashmi will replace MQM-P’s Kamran Khan Tessori as Sindh governor.
Speculation about a change in the Sindh governorship has been circulating for some time, as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which rules Sindh, was reportedly unhappy with Tessori’s tenure.
Meanwhile, the MQM-P began consultations over the government’s decision to replace Tessori with Hashmi. According to sources, senior leaders of MQM-P are holding internal discussions to review the situation and formulate the party’s stance.
