ISLAMABAD:
After months of procedural limbo and bickering, the National Assembly on Friday finally saw the opposition benches regain a formal voice as 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 Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief, who also heads the grand opposition alliance, brings a long-running constitutional process back on track, after weeks of speculation over whether the announcement would ever see the light of day.
Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq issued the long-awaited notification, offering a political silver lining amid a deepening trust deficit between the exchequer and the opposition.
The post of opposition leader had been vacant since August 7 after jailed PTI founder Imran Khan nominated Achakzai as the consensus candidate. While the announcement was widely expected on January 15, its delay sparked fresh uncertainty in opposition ranks and renewed accusations of deliberate foot-dragging.
The deadlock finally broke during a National Assembly session the following day when Speaker Ayaz Sadiq summoned PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and Chief Whip Amir Dogar to his chamber and said the announcement was ready.
The three ventured into the speaker’s chamber and when they emerged confirmed the development.
“The notification has been issued today and Mahmood Achakzai has been officially declared as the Leader of the Opposition,” said lawyer Gohar.
According to the official notification seen by The Express Pakinomist, the appointment will take effect from January 16, 2026. The notification, signed by the Speaker, said: “Honourable Speaker has been pleased to declare Mr Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Member of the National Assembly, as the Leader of the Opposition in NA, with effect from January 20216.”
“The notice has been issued pursuant to Rule 39 of the Rules and Procedures of the National Assembly, 2007,” a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat said,” 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 rightful leader.
“We have waited five months for this decision. It was our right, even though it was delayed, but we finally got our right. We see it as a confidence-building measure and hope it will pave the way for new beginnings,” he added.
Soon after the announcement, the congratulations started pouring in. Former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan took to X and said: “Heartiest congratulations to Mahmud Khan Achakzai sahib who has been officially declared the leader of the opposition national assembly”.
“It is a great unique honor and Mahmud Khan Ackhakzai sahib will, InshahAllah, fulfill his responsibility brilliantly,” he said.
The National Dialogue Committee, headed by Fawad Chaudhry, welcomed Achakzai’s appointment as a win for its agenda. In a statement on X, he said Mahmood Achakzai’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition fulfills an essential condition of the NDC’s charter.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should consider whether a return 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 open a path to face Imran Khan,” he said.
Fawad Chaudhry further stressed that a leader of the opposition should also be appointed in the Senate without delay to ensure progress, adding that accepting 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 repeats conversations calls
The government also welcomed the appointment. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan renewed the call for dialogue with the opposition while congratulating Achakzai and reiterating that the Prime Minister’s invitation for talks 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 Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, 2007, confirms that it is the only right the Speaker is entitled to after the Speaker can call the opposition to call the opposition.
However, the earlier request had been submitted to the Speaker’s office rather than 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 dismissal in the Supreme Court and Supreme Court, but later withdrew the petitions.
The National Assembly Secretariat sent four letters, most recently dated December 29, to Chief Whip Amir Dogar seeking details of cases related to Omar Ayub, stating that written confirmation was required to complete the process.
Dogar responded on 5 January, confirming that Omar Ayub had withdrawn all pending cases. The speaker subsequently assured that the appointment process would begin in the next parliamentary session.
On 12 January, the speaker formally began the process for the appointment of the NA opposition leader by seeking proposals for the nomination.
