Abbas secures 22 votes from opposition members, Senate Secretariat instructed to issue official notification
The newly appointed leader of the opposition in the Senate, Raja Nasir Abbas. Photo: Screenshot from YouTube/Pakistan Senate.
ISLAMABAD:
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has been officially appointed leader of the opposition in the Senate, filling a position that has been vacant for the past five months.
The announcement came during a Senate session chaired by Yousuf Raza Gilani, where Abbas won 22 votes from opposition members, according to the president. The Senate Secretariat has been instructed to immediately issue the official notification.
President Gilani formally declared Raja Nasir Abbas leader of the opposition in the Senate. During the proceedings, PML-N Senator Nasir Butt questioned the Senate President about Abbas’s party affiliation, pointing out that he is not a member of the PTI, and asked if the party had no eligible candidate for the post.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarrar and PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah welcomed the new opposition leader in the House. The senators also congratulated Raja Nasir Abbas on his seat.
On Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ali Zafar confirmed that Senate President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani decided on the appointment of Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as leader of the opposition in the upper house of Parliament and that the process for it had begun.
Read: PTI’s Ali Zafar says Senate President has decided to elect Raja Nasir Abbas as opposition leader
Zafar said that during a meeting the Senate president was reminded that he had earlier stated that he was consulting with the speaker of the National Assembly on issuing a notification to the leader of the opposition in the upper house.
Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court yesterday, Barrister Gohar mentioned that the PTI founder had nominated Achakzai and Allama Abbas for the post of opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate, and that it would be ideal if both the nominations were approved.
Since National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had decided and appointed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as National Assembly Opposition Leader, Zafar said Gilani was also asked to announce PTI’s candidate for Senate Opposition Leader.
Last week, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah had said he expected progress on the appointment of the leader of the opposition in the Senate this week, following the appointment of Achakzai as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
In October last year, the PTI had nominated Achakzai and Allama Abbas as its candidates for the positions of opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively.
After months of delay, Achakzai was appointed to the position last week after Sadiq issued his notification.
