Achakzai named opposition leader in National Assembly after months-long delay

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai was appointed leader of the opposition in the National Assembly (NA) on Friday, following a months-long delay.

Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had named Achakzai for the opposition leader’s slot in the NA in August last year.

The notification, seen by Dawn, read: “Honourable Speaker has been pleased to declare Mr Mehmood Khan Achakzai, member of the National Assembly, as leader of the opposition in the NA, with effect from January 16, 2925.

Speaking to the media, Gohar said that the “notification was supposed to be issued yesterday; however, it was not due to some issues.”

“Today, it has been issued finally,” he added.

“Although it was our right and we got it today after a long delay,” he further said.

During the session today, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq called PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Whip Amir Dogar to his chambers, stating he had a “notification to give” to them.

Addressing Gohar, the speaker told him, “Come to my chamber, I have a notification to give”.

On January 13, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed the party’s submission of Achakzai’s nomination papers to NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

It was the second time that the party had formally proposed his name for the post of opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament.

The slot has been vacant for almost five months since the disqualification of PTI’s Omar Ayub in August 2025.

On January 6, NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had said that the process for the appointment of the opposition leader was to be initiated afresh.

The opposition had also submitted the nomination papers for Achakzai — who also heads the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — to the speaker’s office in October 2025.

Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, confirms it is the sole prerogative of the speaker to ask the opposition at any time to submit a name, after which the opposition may present it.

But the submission in October was made to the speaker’s office rather than to him personally.

The opposition has also repe­atedly accused the government of delaying Achakzai’s appointment, while the NA speaker had maintained until recently that the matter was “sub judice” — apparently a reference to Ayub’s appeal against his disqualification.

Ayub had filed pleas in the Supreme Court and high courts against his removal, but later withdrew the petitions.

Subsequently, the NA Secretariat sent a letter to PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar in December, seeking details about the status of cases concerning Ayub.

The letter said the provision of the details in writing was necessary for the completion of the process for the appointment of an opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament.

Dogar submitted the required documents to the NA speaker on January 5, following which the latter had said that the constitutional process for the appointment of the next opposition leader would be initiated afresh in the next parliamentary session.

During the January 6 NA session, the speaker formally initiated the process for the appointment of the NA opposition leader by seeking proposals for the nomination.