Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Tuesday that Mahmood Khan Achakzai is expected to be formally notified as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly by Thursday, ending a months-long vacancy for the key parliamentary post.
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Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, Gohar confirmed that Achakzai’s nomination papers had been submitted and that verification of signatures would be completed by Wednesday. “So far only one nomination has been filed,” he said, adding that the process was proceeding without any hurdles.
Achakzai, who heads the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan alliance and is also chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), has been backed by the PTI-led opposition bloc. The position has remained unfilled since August 2025, when former opposition leaders Omar Ayub in the National Assembly and Shibli Faraz in the Senate were removed following their convictions in cases linked to the May 9 unrest.
Separately, PTI Chief Whip Malik Aamir Dogar wrote to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, stating that a majority of opposition lawmakers had “unanimously” nominated Achakzai for the role. The letter argued that democratic norms require the opposition to choose its own leader and urged the Speaker to notify the appointment without delay in line with Rule 39 of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct, 2007.
According to parliamentary sources, Speaker Sadiq has assured the PTI delegation that the announcement will be made by Thursday after signature verification. The Speaker had earlier asked opposition parties to submit nominations by January 13, with scrutiny scheduled for January 14.
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Meanwhile, responding to speculation about internal divisions, Gohar dismissed reports of a “forward bloc” within the PTI and reaffirmed Imran Khan’s position as party chief, saying “Khan Sahib was, he is, and will be the PTI chairman.”