By Staff Reporter
Islamabad : The government and opposition benches have agreed on Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as the new leader of the opposition in the Senate.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Ali Zafar confirmed the development on Monday, saying consultations were held between Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and members from both the treasury and opposition benches before reaching consensus.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also confirmed the decision, stating that Senator Nasir Abbas, an ally of the PTI, would assume the role of opposition leader in the upper house. He added that a formal notification in this regard was being issued.
The position had remained vacant since August last year, following the disqualification of former opposition leader Senator Shibli Faraz by the Election Commission of Pakistan after his conviction in cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots.
Earlier, Barrister Ali Zafar had written to the Senate chairman, formally nominating the MWM chief for the post and urging his immediate appointment. He stressed that the role of opposition leader was vital for parliamentary democracy, effective governance, constitutional oversight and transparency.
Zafar noted that the prolonged vacancy of the post had raised concerns about the functioning of the parliamentary system. The development follows the recent appointment of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
