The newly appointed leader of the opposition in the Senate, Raja Nasir Abbas. Photo: Screenshot from YouTube/Pakistan Senate.
ISLAMABAD:
Within days of the opposition leader’s appointment in the National Assembly, the process also concluded on Tuesday in the Senate, where Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas was officially notified for the post.
With opposition leaders now seated in both the National Assembly and the Senate after a gap of five months, political analysts see this development as a “potential icebreaker” between the Treasury benches and the opposition.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led opposition aims to use parliament to press its demands, while the ruling coalition hopes the appointments will prompt the opposition to move away from a strategy of agitation and disruption.
Abbas, a PTI-backed senator and vice-president of Tehreek Tahafuz Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), had been nominated for the post by jailed PTI founder Imran Khan in August. Abbas won 22 votes of the 32 opposition members in the upper house.
“Pursuant to sub-rule (3) of Rule 16 of the Senate Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2012, the President of the Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Raja Nasir Abbas as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, with immediate effect,” a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat said.
The post of opposition leader in the Senate had remained vacant since August 2025, when the then incumbent, PTI’s Shibli Faraz, was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following his conviction in cases related to the May 9, 2023 violence.
Faraz had challenged the ECP notification before the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which initially granted a stay order, halting further action on his disqualification and appointment of a new opposition leader.
Explaining the delay, Senate President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani told the house that the appointment had been stalled for reasons of procedure, institutional prudence and deference to judicial authority and the rule of law.
During the session, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Nasir Butt raised doubts about Abbas’s party affiliation and pointed out that he was not a member of the PTI. “If the party [PTI] lacked an eligible candidate within its own ranks,” he asked.
Despite the objection, the president proceeded with the declaration and ordered the Senate Secretariat to issue the notification immediately. PTI parliamentary leader Ali Zafar welcomed the decision and thanked the treasury banks for their support, terming it a positive parliamentary gesture.
“This is what parliamentary behavior should be. At a minimum, we must preserve and defend parliamentary authority and powers,” he said. From the Treasury Benches, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Prime Minister’s Advisor Rana Sanaullah also welcomed the appointment.
In his maiden speech as leader of the opposition, Raja Nasir Abbas credited Imran Khan for his presence in the house, describing himself as a “loyal companion” of Khan, who would never compromise his principles or his oath. He claimed that Khan enjoyed 90% public support.
“The country cannot progress if a popular leader is kept in jail,” Abbas said, stressing that resolving Khan’s cases and releasing him was the only solution to the political crisis. He also called for the opposition to access what he called “political prisoners” to restore stability.
Describing the Constitution as a sacred social contract, Abbas said it binds the pillars of the state to non-interference. Without respect for the law, he warned, society risks descending into a “jungle” marked by anarchy and the erosion of public trust.
He said national strength emerged from justice and unity, attributing political instability to alleged fraud in the February 8, 2024 elections, suppression of peaceful protests, violence against TTAP members in Punjab and displacement in Tirah area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Questioning whether terrorism could be eradicated without justice and local support, Abbas said economic and security challenges could not be resolved without ending political deadlock and urged parliament to “exercise collective wisdom.”
He also called on Pakistan to oppose US President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran, proposing a session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and a regional dialogue to avoid any escalation.
Speaking after Abbas, Rana Sanaullah said the allegations surrounding the February 8 election were unprecedented, recalling similar claims in previous polls, including the 2018 general election. Remaining mired in past grievances, he claimed, would hamper national progress.
Sanaullah agreed that Pakistan’s electoral system lacked complete credibility and required reforms. “If we accept that free and fair elections remain a challenge, the solution lies in sitting together to improve electoral laws, procedures and the role of institutions like the ECP,” he said.
Citing the “Charter of Democracy”, he urged all political parties to work towards a “Charter of Stability”, highlighting that political, electoral and institutional challenges could only be resolved through dialogue and consensus within parliament.
He added that now that opposition leaders have been appointed in both the National Assembly and the Senate, there was an opportunity to steer politics towards stability through parliamentary debate on judicial independence, political cases, electoral reforms and democratic norms.
The appointments came after more than five months of delay, as the positions had remained vacant since August 2025, when Shibli Faraz and his National Assembly counterpart Omar Ayub were convicted and disqualified.
