Imran nominates Achakzai as NA opposition leader, Swati for Senate

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan has nominated Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the post of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said on Wednesday.

“Azam Khan Swati has been nominated as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate,” Raja added. He also said Imran has asked for five names to decide on his nominee for the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly.

The announcement comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan earlier this month disqualified PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan as the NA opposition leader and ShibliFaraz from the same role in the Senate, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in May 9 cases. Both PTI opposition leaders were formally removed from their posts on August 8.

Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Raja said that Imran nominated had nominated Achakzai, who currently leaders the Tehreek-i-TahaffuzAyeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), to take Ayub’s place.

“The PTI founder has entrusted the matter of by-elections [to seats vacated after recent convictions of lawmakers in May 9 cases] to the party’s political committee,” he said.

“A political committee meeting will be held later today, where a decision will be made in this regard.”

‘We need to fight this war: In a separate address in Lahore, Raja highlighted that the people need to come together and stand up against oppression, adding that they need to fight for their rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what party you belong to; if you have empathy, we are all together,” he said. “For the permanence of humanity and dignity, we need to fight this war.”

PTI general secretary highlighted that anyone can be detained for any reason, warning that nobody has freedom.

“There is only one law in this country, its name is fear,” he emphasized.

“We will take your struggle to every stage we can,” Raja said, indirectly addressing party supporters.

“We are all part of one big struggle for human rights. What does the supremacy of law and the Constitution mean? It means having the right to stand up and protest, as in Article 17. Article 15 allows free movement. Article 19 says we can raise and spread our voice together.

“We have to fight for the farmers and the downtrodden,” he added. “I listened to people in Sindh, it brought tears to my eyes, but this is not only in Sindh, it is commonplace.”

Raja emphasised that “we all have rights and we are all human”, adding that the people need to stand up for a common agenda.

“We can see in these floods, they are not purely natural disasters: there is a human hand and greed involved,” Raja declared. “We need to eradicate this greed in the same way as our forests are being cut down. If we do not stand up, we will not be able to raise our voices again.”

Last week, the Peshawar High Court had issued a stay order for the appointments of new opposition leaders in the NA and the Senate. The bench also issued notices to the ECP, seeking its response to two separate petitions filed by Ayub and Faraz. The petitions challenged their disqualification and de-notification as MNA and Senator, respectively.

The PTI is a part of a coalition of six opposition parties, working under the banner of TTAP, which was formed last year.

Earlier this month, the opposition alliance had organised a multi-party conference, following which it had appealed for a new social contract to restore the Constitution and democracy.

The TTAP formalised its organisational structure in July, declaring blanket support for all anti-government protests. During a press conference, Raja had announced Achakzai’s appointment as TTAP chairman, with PTI’s AsadQaiser as the Secretary General.