Pakistan's parliament appoints Achakzai as opposition leader after months of delay

Pakistan’s parliament on Friday named veteran politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, ending a nearly five-month vacancy in the post after prolonged procedural delays.

The opposition leader’s position has remained vacant since August 2025, when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Omar Ayub was disqualified after receiving a 10-year prison sentence in a case linked to the May 9 riots, leaving the opposition benches without formal leadership.

Achakzai heads the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), an opposition alliance formed by several parties that says it seeks to protect the constitution, parliamentary supremacy and democratic norms in the country.

A formal notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat said the speaker had declared Achakzai, a lawmaker, as opposition leader with effect from Jan. 16, 2026.

The appointment followed a meeting in the speaker’s chambers between National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and senior members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Whip Amir Dogar.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Gohar said the notification had been expected a day earlier but was delayed due to “procedural issues”, adding that it had now been formally issued.

PTI’s jailed founder and former prime minister Imran Khan had nominated Achakzai for the role in August 2025. The party submitted his nomination papers again earlier this month after an earlier proposal did not result in an appointment.

Earlier this month, the speaker said the process for appointing a new opposition leader would need to be restarted, prompting opposition parties to resubmit Achakzai’s nomination, which had also been filed with the speaker’s office in October last year.