Hope that tensions between government and opposition will ease after announcement
A photo of TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai. – screenshot
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that he expected the Speaker of the National Assembly to take a positive decision on the appointment of Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the Leader of the Opposition in Friday’s session.
Speaking in an interview regarding Capital talk on a private news channel, the PML-N leader said, “The process initiated by the speaker has, according to my information, been completed today in favor of Mahmood Khan Achakzai. There is a [NA] session tomorrow as well, so hopefully the Speaker will announce his decision.”
Read: Achakzai is all set to become Leader of Opposition when NA nominations close
PTI Chief Whip Malik Amir Dogar also supported the stance and said that he had completed his part of the process in his capacity as Chief Whip and only the formal communication to the NA Opposition Leader was now awaited.
Dogar said he would not be able to attend Friday’s session due to traveling to Karachi, where he is scheduled to attend a public meeting of the opposition coalition Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan and attend other activities. He added that he would return on Monday.
Sanaullah expressed hope that tensions between the government and the opposition would ease once the notice to the NA opposition leader was issued. He said the opposition parties should reconsider their boycott of parliamentary standing committees and resume participation in parliamentary procedures in accordance with the law and rules.
“All issues can be resolved only through dialogue at the table of parliament and politicians,” he said, adding that discussions should also be held on the Charter on Democracy, the Charter on Economy and the Prime Minister’s offer of a Charter on Stability in Pakistan.
“If they sit down and talk, the solution will come from there. No solution will come from a wheel stop or from anywhere else,” he added.
For now, the opposition is still awaiting the announcement of Achakzai’s appointment. On Tuesday, the leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party submitted his nomination papers for the post after being formally nominated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Achakzai is set to take up the post unopposed as no other candidate filed nomination papers. Independent legislators supported by the PTI also submitted nomination papers in his favour.
On the same day, Dogar wrote to NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq urging him to immediately issue the notification in accordance with Rule 39 of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct, 2007.
Rule 39 states that the leader of the opposition must be chosen from among opposition members who have the confidence of the majority of opposition legislators.
