Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan has nominated Mahmood Khan Achakzai as National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader.
Azam Swati will lead the opposition in Senate of Pakistan, says PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja quoting Khan, the incarcerated former prime minister. Raja announced the development while talking to journalists in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Achakzai also leads multi-party opposition alliance, Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), a movement for the protection of the constitution. The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief from Balochistan is a vocal critic of the establishment and has long struggled for the supremacy of democracy in Pakistan.
The announcement from Imran Khan came after the convictions of Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz in May 9-related cased. The PTI leaders were serving as opposition leaders in NA and Senate before their disqualification. Earlier this month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified both the leaders. The PTI termed the sentence politically motivated and approached the higher courts against convictions.
Imran Khan Directions:
Imran Khan, said Salaman Akram Raja, asked for five names to decide the opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly. Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly was also disqualified in May 9 case.
Regarding boycott of the by-elections, Raja said that Imran Khan entrusted the PTI’s political committee to make the decision. Raja also called the meeting of the committee later today.
Earlier this month, Aleema Khan, quoting Imran Khan, said the PTI founder has termed the disqualification of party lawmakers (in May 9 cases) as illegal and unconstitutional. As a result, she added, the PTI has decided not to participate in the upcoming by-elections on the vacated seats.
However, it appears the PTI may announce its participation in the by-poll. Many party leaders oppose a boycott, arguing that PTI should not leave the field open for its opponents, regardless of the circumstances.
 founder chairman Imran Khan has nominated Mahmood Khan Achakzai as National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader.){kind=link}