Deputy PM responds to reports of Sindh Governor Tessori's replacement

ISLAMABAD: The government has finally responded to the reports of potential replacement of Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that a decision on the matter is expected soon.

Reports of a consensus between the coalition partners in the federal government, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), over changing the Sindh governor had run rife recently.

The insiders also said that Tessori could be replaced with PML-N leader and former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief Bashir Memon.

However, there was no official word on the matter until today (Sunday).

FM Dar refuted the reports of Memon's appointment as Sindh governor, but said a decision will be made in regard with the Tessori's replacement will be made soon.

Meanwhile, sources said that the PML-N is holding consultation with the coalition partner PPP on the matter.

On Saturday, Tessori vowed to continue serving as Sindh governor amid replacement reports, saying that he will continue to be in people's service.

"The positions keep coming and going but I will continue to serve the people till I am on the governor's post," he said in response to the questions regarding his potential replacement.

The Sindh governor said that he enjoyed the confidence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

"I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities as Sindh governor," he added.

Earlier, sources had said that a change in the governor's office is likely to take place in the coming days. They said that the PML-N leadership contacted the PPP's top leaders on Friday and discussed the matter.

In April, the sources claimed that former Sindh caretaker chief minister Justice (retired) Maqbool Baqar could be appointed as the new governor of the province.

Responding to one such report, MQM-P leader Khajawa Izharul Hassan had also dismissed the potential removal of Tessori, citing a social contract.

Hassan had said that according to the social contract, the governor should be the representative of urban Sindh if the elected chief minister repeatedly belonged to the rural areas of the province, adding that the appointment of the incumbent governor [Tessori] was fully in harmony with the prevailing social contract in the province.

Moreover, a PPP leader Waqar Mehdi on April 12 this year declared Tessori as the "biggest failure as governor" in the history of the province, saying he had failed to discharge his due role as he, being the representative of the federation in the province, was supposed to develop consensus on political issues.

PPP Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi had called upon the PML-N ruling in the Centre to immediately finalise its nominee as the new governor of Sindh. “Kamran Tessori better go on leave until the PML-N chooses the new governor for Sindh.”.