PTI nominates Achakzai, Swati as leaders of Opposition in NA, Senate

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has nominated opposition alliance chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Azam Khan Swati as leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate respectively, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

PTI Secretary-General Barrister Salman Akram Raja told newsmen in Islamabad on Wednesday that Imran Khan has directed the party to hold in-depth consultations regarding taking a decision about by-elections.

Raja said a meeting of the PTI Political Committee will soon be summoned in this regard.

Raja said the party founder has nominated seasons politician Mahmood Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition in the lower house of the parliament while Azam Swat was named as Leader of the Opposition in the upper house.

Earlier, PTI’s Omar Ayub lost his position as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly following his conviction in the May 9 cases by an anti-terrorism court. He was also removed from the Public Accounts Committee and all other standing committees.

Subsequently, the Election Commission had issued disqualification notifications for Omar Ayub and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz, a decision both leaders have challenged in the Peshawar High Court. 

The disqualification was executed under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, which bars individuals from Parliament if convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude.

The ECP cited the ATC Faisalabad’s verdict in its notification, noting that the concerned members had been convicted in connection with the May 9 violence cases. The court had sentenced each of them to prison terms of up to 10 years.

The ruling came just days after the ATC announced its decision in three separate cases related to the May 9 incidents, which involved protests and violence following the arrest of Imran Khan.

Reporter Tayyab Saif