After a months-long delay, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai was appointed leader of the opposition in the National Assembly on Friday.
Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had named Achakzai for the opposition leader’s slot in the NA in August last year.
The notification, seen by Dawn, read: “Honourable Speaker has been pleased to declare Mr Mehmood Khan Achakzai, member of the National Assembly, as leader of the opposition in the NA, with effect from January 16, 2026.”
“The notification has been issued under Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007,” said a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.
Notification by the NA Secretariat declaring Achakzai as the opposition leader in NA. — Photo via author
Prior to the notification being issued, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq summoned PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Whip Amir Dogar to his chambers, stating that he had a “notification to give” them.
“Come to my chamber, I have a notification to give,” said Sadiq while addressing Gohar. The three proceeded to the speaker’s chamber while the acting speaker presided over the lower house session.
After emerging from the speaker’s chamber, the PTI chairman announced that the opposition leader had been appointed.
Gohar said that the “notification was supposed to be issued yesterday; however, it was not, due to some issues.”
“Today, it has finally been issued,” he added.
“Although it was our right, we received it today after a long delay,” he further said.
Congratulations pour in
Former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan congratulated Achakzai on the appointment, voicing optimism that he will “fulfil his responsibilities brilliantly”.
In a post on X, Ayub said, “Heartiest congratulations to Mahmud Khan Achakzai sahib, who has been officially declared as the ‘Leader of the Opposition National Assembly’.
“It is a great singular honour, and Mahmud Khan Ackhakzai sahib will, InshahAllah, fulfil his responsibilities brilliantly,” he said.
PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan also congratulated Achakzai.
In a post on X, the PTI leader said, “Congratulations on becoming the opposition leader. It’s a great honour and responsibility given to him by our leader”.
Khan expressed hope that Achakzai, in his position, “will do his best” to ensure the release of Imran and “other innocent political prisoners, including our vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi”.
He also hoped that Achakzai would put “derailed democracy back on track”.
PTI leader Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari also took to social media to congratulate the opposition leader.
“I’m sure he will not let down the trust Imran Khan has put in him. Best of luck, sir,” he said.
PTI leader Ali Asghar Khan hailed the development as well and congratulated Achakzai.
“We are sure you will fulfil this responsibility with the commitment to the people’s cause we have come to expect of you.”
The Senior Vice President of PTI’s Women’s Wing, Naureen Farooq Ibrahim, also hoped that Achakzai would “fulfil his responsibilities brilliantly”, congratulating the opposition leader.
PTI’s struggle to appoint new opposition leader
On January 13, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed the party’s submission of Achakzai’s nomination papers to NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
It was the second time that the party had formally proposed his name for the post of opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament.
The slot has been vacant for almost five months since the disqualification of PTI’s Omar Ayub in August 2025.
On January 6, NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had said that the process for the appointment of the opposition leader was to be initiated afresh.
The opposition had also submitted the nomination papers for Achakzai — who also heads the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — to the speaker’s office in October 2025.
Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, confirms it is the sole prerogative of the speaker to ask the opposition at any time to submit a name, after which the opposition may present it.
But the submission in October was made to the speaker’s office rather than to him personally.
The opposition has also repeatedly accused the government of delaying Achakzai’s appointment, while the NA speaker had maintained until recently that the matter was “sub judice” — apparently a reference to Ayub’s appeal against his disqualification.
Ayub had filed pleas in the Supreme Court and high courts against his removal, but later withdrew the petitions.
Subsequently, the NA Secretariat sent a letter to PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar in December, seeking details about the status of cases concerning Ayub.
The letter said the provision of the details in writing was necessary for the completion of the process for the appointment of an opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament.
Dogar submitted the required documents to the NA speaker on January 5, following which the latter had said that the constitutional process for the appointment of the next opposition leader would be initiated afresh in the next parliamentary session.
During the January 6 NA session, the speaker formally initiated the process for the appointment of the NA opposition leader by seeking proposals for the nomination.
