President Asif Ali Zardari approved on Thursday the appointment of PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi as Sindh governor, hours after it was announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recommended his appointment to the post previously held by MQM’s Kamran Tessori.
“President Zardari has approved the appointment of Mr Nihal Hashmi as Sindh governor, acting on the advice of PM under Articles 48 and 101 of Pakistan’s Constitution,” a post on the Presidency’s X account said.
It added, “The Commission of Appointment has been signed. He (Hashmi) will take [his] oath before the chief justice of the Sindh High Court.”
Earlier, a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said PM Shehbaz had decided to appoint Hashmi as Sindh governor – a move which came as a surprise.
According to the PMO, PM Shehbaz met Hashmi at PM House on Tuesday and decided to nominate him as the governor of Sindh.
The premier the forwarded a summary in this regard to President Asif Ali Zardari for the final nod.
A video of the PM’s meeting with Hashmi showed Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and PM’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah present on the occasion.
Speaking to the media, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar said that the party was not made aware of Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori’s removal, terming the move a “clear message” that the federal government did not “need” the party anymore.
He said that Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddique was consulting party members, and a principled reaction over the removal of Tessori was to be expected on Thursday night.
Sattar said that he learnt of the development on television, stating, “I think, everyone of us got this news via the media.”
Sattar complained that there “was no indication, no prior information, no consultation, and the government didn’t even take us into confidence”.
“This was a clear message to us by PM Shehbaz that they don’t need us anymore,” he maintained.