ISLAMABAD:
Opposition parties in the National Assembly, led by the PTI, have submitted a formal request in the lower house of parliament, appointing PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition.
A group of opposition lawmakers, including PTI’s Aamir Dogar and Asad Qaiser, submitted the petition on Tuesday, with signatures of 74 members of parliament. Three PTI members could not sign the application as they are currently abroad.
NA Additional Secretary (Legislation) Mushtaq Ahmed received the application and the Assessor’s Office assigned it a journal number.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament after the meeting, Asad Qaiser said that Mehmood Khan Achakzai has rendered notable services to democracy, which is why all opposition parties have unanimously expressed confidence in him.
PTI’s Aamir Dogar said 74 opposition members had signed the petition, adding that Achakzai will be the unanimous voice of the opposition.
He said the PTI had also nominated Achakzai as its candidate in the presidential election and that keeping the post of opposition leader vacant is not in the interest of Parliament. Dogar expressed hope that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq would soon approve the request.
“The eyes of the entire nation are on the petition against the 26th Constitutional Amendment; if accepted, it will establish the true rule of the Constitution and law in the country.”
Commenting on the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Asad Qaiser said that if both countries continue dialogue, it will bring peace, stability and new employment opportunities.
He said reopening trade corridors would allow Pakistani exports to reach Central Asian countries. He also urged the federal government to allow a meeting between the newly elected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI founder Imran Khan.
“This is our legitimate demand and all political colleagues should be allowed to meet Imran,” he added. Imran Khan has been detained in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for the past two years.
He said the KP is yet to receive its fair share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) awards, stating that after the merger of the FATA tribal areas with the KP, the provinces’ share is 19% “but we have not received a single rupee yet.”
Qaiser stressed that the province is not begging anyone but demanding its legal right. He said the KP should not be punished “just because it supports Imran”.
