ISLAMABAD (MNN); A meeting between opposition lawmakers and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq concluded without progress on Monday, after the Speaker declined to acknowledge Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition.
The opposition delegation, led by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, demanded that the post be notified without delay, terming it a constitutional entitlement.
They assured the Speaker that the opposition intended to function within parliamentary norms and had no intention of storming the House or engaging in confrontation.
Ayaz Sadiq maintained that Achakzai could not be accepted as opposition leader at this stage and said his decision would be guided strictly by constitutional and legal parameters. He also reminded the delegation of his earlier invitation for talks which, he said, Achakzai had rejected with remarks about engaging with India and Afghanistan instead.
During the discussion, former Speaker Asad Qaiser defended Achakzai, saying he had long struggled for constitutional values and had also supported the government on various occasions.
Barrister Gohar responded that past remarks were made in misunderstanding and had already been retracted, reiterating that parliament was respected by the opposition.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Gohar said the apology had been offered and the matter should now proceed towards formal notification of the opposition leader.
MWM’s Allama Raja Nasir maintained that protest, walkouts and boycotts were legitimate democratic tools.
Earlier in the session, the Speaker condemned an opposition member’s threat to march on his chair, warning that disruption would not be tolerated.
Gohar countered that Achakzai remained the opposition’s nominee and urged the Speaker not to deepen divisions.
PML-N MNA Shumaila Rana submitted a resolution against Achakzai, calling for action against what she termed pressure-based tactics. The Speaker, however, did not put the resolution to vote.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reiterated that dialogue was the only constitutional pathway, adding that Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained a legal option if governance conditions worsened, though not equivalent to martial law.
The National Assembly passed the Federal Prosecution Service (Amendment) Bill and the National Commission for Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025. Two other bills — Inter Boards Coordination Commission (Amendment) Bill and General Statistics (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill — were introduced.
The session was adjourned until 2:00 pm Tuesday.
