By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party suffered a major blow on Friday as the National Assembly and Senate secretariats announced the removal of Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz as opposition leaders, following their disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over convictions tied to the May 9, 2023 riots.
“Consequent upon disqualification and de-notification of Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan from being a member of the National Assembly (NA-18 Haripur) under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan … the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly has become vacant with effect from August 5th, 2025,” the National Assembly Secretariat’s August 7 notification stated.
The Senate Secretariat issued a similar notice for Shibli Faraz. “Consequent upon disqualification and de-notification of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, from being a member of the Senate under Article 63 of the Constitution … the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate has become vacant with effect from 5th August.”
On Tuesday, the ECP disqualified nine PTI lawmakers, including Ayub, Faraz, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Zartaj Gul, under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, which bars those convicted of offences involving moral turpitude and sentenced to at least two years’ imprisonment. The decision left one Senate seat, five National Assembly seats, and three Punjab Assembly seats vacant.
The disqualifications follow an anti-terrorism court (ATC) ruling in Faisalabad last month, which sentenced over 100 PTI leaders and workers, including Ayub, Faraz, Gul, and Raza, to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for their roles in the May 9, 2023 riots.
The protests, sparked by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, saw supporters attack military installations, state buildings, and the Lahore corps commander’s residence, leading to thousands of arrests.
Ayub denounced the ATC’s ruling as a “bogus verdict” on X, vowing to challenge both the conviction and the ECP’s disqualification in court. In a video from the Peshawar High Court (PHC), alongside PTI leaders and lawyers, he said the court had granted him a few days to file an appeal, with bail expected upon submission.
The PHC on Wednesday barred the ECP from further action against Ayub and Faraz pending their appeals, providing temporary relief. The ECP’s move follows recent disqualifications of PTI lawmakers, including MNA Abdul Latif on July 29 and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, MNA Mohammad Ahmed Chatta, and MPA Ahmad Khan on July 28.
Last December, a military court sentenced over 50 PTI figures, including Khan’s nephew Hassaan Niazi, to up to 10 years for riot-related charges. ATCs are working to meet a Supreme Court deadline to conclude May 9 cases by August, intensifying pressure on PTI. The disqualifications have fueled claims of political targeting, with PTI alleging a campaign to weaken the opposition. The vacant seats are likely to trigger by-elections, though no timeline has been set.
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