ISLAMABAD:
Barring unforeseen developments, Mahmood Khan Achakzai will become the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly as the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) president emerged as the sole candidate for the position on Tuesday.
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan formally submitted his nomination papers following the National Assembly Speaker’s decision to restart the process of appointing an opposition leader.
This is the second time that the PTI has nominated Achakzai for the post. In October, when the party requested his notification, President Ayaz Sadiq refused, citing pending cases against Omar Ayub, who had been an opposition leader before his disqualification as MNA.
The Lower House remains without an opposition leader since August 2025, when former leader Ayub was disqualified following his conviction in the May 9 cases.
After nearly five months of political deadlock, Gohar, along with Asad Qaiser, PTI chief Amir Dogar and others, met Sadiq in his chamber and formally submitted all the documents required for Achakzai’s appointment. This marked the second official submission of Achakzai’s name for the position.
Speaking to reporters, Gohar confirmed Achakzai’s nomination.
“We have submitted all the necessary documents for the appointment of the opposition leader. The verification of signatures is expected to be completed tomorrow and Achakzai’s notification is likely to be issued tomorrow or at the latest on Thursday.”
He added that Achakzai was the only opposition candidate and that no other nominations had been filed or were expected.
“This will end the parliamentary deadlock. Achakzai will assume the role of opposition leader during Friday’s Assembly session,” he said.
The written proposal said that the majority of the opposition had unanimously appointed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition.
The letter emphasized that democratic traditions guarantee the right of the opposition to elect its leader and urged the president to issue the notification immediately under Rule 39 of the 2007 Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the National Assembly.
Rule 39 stipulates that the opposition leader must be chosen from among opposition members who enjoy the confidence of the majority of opposition legislators.
Asad Qaiser said issuing the notification was the prerogative of the spokesperson. “We have met all the requirements and we hope that there will be no further delays,” he told reporters, adding that once the appointment is made in the National Assembly, the process will also continue in the Senate.
President Ayaz Sadiq has assured opposition lawmakers that the appointment will be finalized once all legal formalities have been completed.
Achakzai was nominated by jailed PTI founder Imran Khan weeks after Omar Ayub’s conviction, and the party formally submitted his name in October 2025. However, the previous application had been submitted to the Speaker’s Office and not directly to the spokesperson.
The opposition accused the government of delaying Achakzai’s appointment, while Sadiq maintained that the matter was sub judice due to pending cases against Omar. Omar Ayub had challenged his dismissal before the Supreme Court and high courts but later withdrew the petitions.
The National Assembly Secretariat sent four letters, the last of which was dated December 29, to the head of the National Assembly, Amir Dogar, requesting details of the cases related to Omar Ayub, stating that written confirmation was needed to complete the appointment process.
Dogar responded on January 5, confirming that Omar Ayub had withdrawn all pending cases.
Later, the president assured that the appointment process would begin in the next parliamentary session. Now that a major hurdle has been cleared, the question remains whether the move will help reduce political tensions.
PILDAT president Ahmad Bilal Mehboob expressed cautious optimism. “I believe that the delay in the appointment of opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate was unjustified. Now that the process is moving forward, at least in the National Assembly, it should ease tensions a little.
“While it will not create friendship between the parties, it removes an irritant and completes the parliament, also addressing some international concerns about the quality of democracy. Although almost six months late, it is a positive step, and I hope no more obstacles arise,” he said.
