ISLAMABAD - Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has decided to appoint Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWMP) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, ending a five-month delay and resolving the controversy surrounding the appointment, the PTI announced on Monday.
Ali Zafar, the Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the House, confirmed that Senator Gilani has approved Abbas’s appointment and instructed the Secretariat to issue a formal notification. Zafar stated, “We welcome the decision as it will enhance our ability to present our stance effectively in the Senate.” The positions of opposition leaders in both the Senate and the National Assembly had been vacant since PTI members Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub Khan were disqualified in August 2025 due to their involvement in cases related to the May 9 riots. The controversy surrounding these appointments was resolved last week when National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq appointed Mehmood Khan Achakzai as the opposition leader in the National Assembly, indicating that the Senate's opposition leader would also soon be appointed.
Earlier, Senator Zafar submitted a letter to the Senate chairman requesting the appointment of Abbas. The PTI had nominated Senator Raja Nasir Abbas for the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate on October 24, 2025. The letter emphasized that the delay in appointing the Leader of the Opposition was against the Senate's Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, as well as democratic traditions. It highlighted that a House without a recognized opposition leader lacked institutional completeness and was hindered in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities of oversight, accountability, and meaningful debate. The letter urged for Senator Abbas’s prompt appointment in accordance with Rule 16(3) of the Rules of Procedure, in the interest of parliamentary democracy and the effective functioning of the Senate.
