Allama Raja Nasir Abbas notified as Leader of the Opposition in Senate

Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday officially notified Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief and PTI-backed Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as the Leader of the Opposition in the upper house of parliament.

According to a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat, the appointment was made under sub-rule (3) of Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, and takes effect immediately.

The position of opposition leader had remained vacant since August last year, following the disqualification of former leader Shibli Faraz by the Election Commission of Pakistan after his conviction in cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots.

The development comes days after Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.

Addressing the Senate after his notification, Raja Nasir Abbas reaffirmed his allegiance to jailed PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and said he would uphold principles without compromise.

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He urged politicians and parliamentarians to prioritise the problems of ordinary citizens instead of serving elite interests, highlighting issues such as the public’s inability to afford medicines, electricity bills and education for their children.

The newly appointed opposition leader stressed the need for laws and policies that directly benefit the people and called for freedom of expression, urging authorities to allow citizens to speak without fear.

Raja Nasir Abbas said resolving the country’s political crisis required the release of the PTI founding chairman, adding that parliament should raise its voice for the release of political prisoners.

Earlier, PTI parliamentary leader in the Senate Ali Zafar had written to the Senate chairman, urging the appointment of an opposition leader. He said the office was vital for effective governance, constitutional oversight and transparency in a parliamentary democracy.

A day before the notification, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had stated that the MWM chief, an ally of the PTI, would be appointed as the opposition leader in the Senate.