ISLAMABAD:
After months of procedural limbo and wrangling, the National Assembly on Friday finally saw the opposition benches regain a formal voice, when Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai was named leader of the opposition, returning a formal opposition to the lower house amid wider political paralysis.
The appointment of the chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), who also heads the opposition grand alliance, puts a long-stalled constitutional process back on track, after weeks of speculation over whether the notification would ever see the light of day.
President Sardar Ayaz Sadiq issued the long-awaited notification, offering a political silver lining amid a growing trust deficit between the Treasury and the opposition.
The post of opposition leader had remained vacant since August 7, after jailed PTI founder Imran Khan nominated Achakzai as a consensus candidate. While the notification was expected to arrive on January 15, its delay sparked new uncertainty within opposition ranks and fresh accusations of deliberate delay.
The deadlock was finally broken during a session of the National Assembly the next day, when Speaker Ayaz Sadiq summoned PTI chairman Barrister Gohar and National Assembly chief Amir Dogar to his chamber, saying the notification was ready.
The three ventured into the speaker’s chamber and, upon exiting, confirmed the development.
“The notification was issued today and Mahmood Achakzai has been officially declared leader of the opposition,” Barrister Gohar said.
According to the official notification seen by The Express PAkGazette, the appointment is effective from January 16, 2026. The notification, signed by the spokesperson, reads: “The Honorable President is pleased to declare Mr. Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Member of the National Assembly, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, with effect from January 16, 2026.”
“The notification has been issued in accordance with Rule 39 of the National Assembly Business Conduct and Procedure Rules, 2007,” said a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat,” it added.
‘Confidence-building measure’
Speaking to reporters, Barrister Gohar expressed relief over the resolution of the issue and said the opposition had been waiting for its legitimate leader.
“We have waited five months to make this decision. It was our right, albeit delayed, but it has finally been granted to us. We see it as a confidence-building measure and hope it paves the way for new beginnings,” he added.
Shortly after the notification, congratulations began to arrive. Former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan addressed
“It is a great singular honour, and Mahmud Khan Ackhakzai sahib, InshahAllah, will brilliantly discharge his responsibilities,” he said.
The National Dialogue Committee, headed by Fawad Chaudhry, welcomed Achakzai’s appointment as a victory for its agenda. In a statement on X, he said the appointment of Mahmood Achakzai as opposition leader fulfills an important condition of the NDC charter.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should consider whether returning to parliamentary committees, if it helps pave the way for the release of political prisoners, would really be too high a price to pay. It would also help pave a way for meeting Imran Khan,” he said.
Fawad Chaudhry further stressed that an opposition leader should also be appointed without delay in the Senate to ensure progress, adding that acceptance of this key demand of the National Dialogue Committee would help reduce the political temperature in the country.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also congratulated Achakzai. According to JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri, Fazlur Rehman called Achakzai to convey his best wishes and expressed hope that he would play a full role in upholding the supremacy of the Constitution.
Sanaullah reiterates call for talks
The government also welcomed the appointment. The Prime Minister’s political affairs advisor, Rana Sanaullah Khan, renewed the call for dialogue with the opposition and congratulated Achakzai, reiterating that the Prime Minister’s invitation to negotiate remained open.
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. Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 confirms that it is the sole prerogative of the president to ask the opposition to submit a name, after which the opposition can submit it.
However, the previous request had been submitted to the Speaker’s Office and not directly to the speaker. The opposition accused the government of delaying the appointment, while Sadiq maintained that the matter was sub judice due to pending cases against Omar Ayub.
When Achakzai was nominated, Omar Ayub had challenged his removal 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 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.
On January 12, the President formally initiated the process for the appointment of the NA Opposition Leader by seeking proposals for the nomination.
