Abbas secures 22 votes from opposition members, instructed the Senate Secretariat to issue official notification
Newly appointed opposition leader in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas Photo: Screengrab YouTube/Senate in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has been officially appointed as the 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 secured 22 votes from opposition members, according to the chairman. The Senate Secretariat has been instructed to issue the official notification immediately.
Chairman Gilani formally declared Raja Nasir Abbas as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. During the proceedings, PML-N Senator Nasir Butt asked the Senate Chairman about Abbas’s party affiliation, noting that he is not a member of PTI and asked if the party had no qualified candidate for the post.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarrar and PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah welcomed the new Leader of Opposition in the House. Senators also congratulated Raja Nasir Abbas on his seat.
On Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ali Zafar confirmed that Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has decided on the appointment of Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as Leader of Opposition in the Upper House of Parliament and the process for it had begun.
Read: PTI’s Ali Zafar says Senate Chairman has decided on Raja Nasir Abbas as Leader of Opposition
Zafar said the Senate President was reminded during a meeting that he had earlier stated that he consulted the Speaker of the National Assembly on the issuance of a notice 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 Leaders of Opposition in the National Assembly and Senate and it would be ideal if both the nominations were approved.
Since NA Chairman Ayaz Sadiq had decided and appointed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as NA’s Leader of Opposition, Zafar said Gilani was also asked to announce PTI’s candidate for Senate Opposition Leader.
Last week, the prime minister’s political affairs adviser Rana Sanaullah had said he expected progress on the appointment of the Senate opposition leader this week, following Achakzai’s appointment as opposition leader in the National Assembly.
In October last year, PTI had nominated Achakzai and Allama Abbas as its candidates for the posts of NA and Senate Opposition Leaders respectively.
After months of delay, Achakzai was appointed to the post last week after Sadiq issued his announcement.
