By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: After a protracted delay marked by legal wrangling and political maneuvering, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, a veteran politician and chief of the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan alliance, was formally declared leader of the opposition in Pakistan’s National Assembly on Friday, filling a vacancy that had lingered for nearly five months.
The appointment, effective from Jan. 16, came via a notification from the National Assembly Secretariat, approved by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq under Rule 39 of the assembly’s procedural guidelines. “Honourable Speaker has been pleased to declare Mr Mehmood Khan Achakzai, member of the National Assembly, as leader of the opposition in the NA,” the notification stated.
Achakzai, who also heads the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, was nominated for the role by Imran Khan, the jailed founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, back in August 2025, shortly after the disqualification of the previous opposition leader, Omar Ayub Khan, in connection with a case stemming from unrest on May 9, 2023. The position had remained empty since Ayub’s ouster, amid accusations from opposition figures that the government was deliberately stalling the process.
PTI leaders submitted Achakzai’s nomination papers twice — first to the speaker’s office in October 2025, and again directly to Sadiq on Jan. 13 of this year. The speaker had initially described the matter as “sub judice,” citing Ayub’s appeals in the Supreme Court and high courts, though those petitions were later withdrawn.
In December, the secretariat sought clarification from PTI’s chief whip, Amir Dogar, on the status of Ayub’s cases, insisting that written details were essential to proceed. Dogar complied on Jan. 5, paving the way for the speaker to restart the nomination process during a session the following day. On Friday, during House proceedings, Sadiq summoned PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Dogar to his chambers. “Come to my chamber, I have a notification to give,” he told Gohar. The two, along with a delegation of opposition members including Junaid Akbar, Sardar Latif Khosa and Shandana Gulzar, received the document while an acting speaker presided over the session. Emerging from the meeting, Gohar told reporters that the notification had been expected the previous day but was held up by unspecified issues. “Although it was our right, we received it today after a long delay,” he said.
The development drew a wave of congratulations from PTI ranks. Ayub, posting on the social media platform X, described it as “a great singular honour” and expressed confidence that Achakzai would “fulfil his responsibilities brilliantly.”
The appointment has also accelerated efforts to name an opposition leader in the Senate, where the post remains vacant. Sources familiar with the process said the Senate secretariat is reviewing legal and procedural requirements, with a notification expected soon. PTI has put forward Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as its candidate, positioning him to coordinate opposition efforts in the upper house.
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