Speaker ignores PTI request for change of opposition leader

ISLAMABAD: A fresh attempt of Imran Khan and the PTI to get the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly changed has fizzled out as Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf has rejected the communication made by the former PTI chief whip last week.

Parliamentary sources told The News on Saturday that Raja Riaz Ahmad, who is a dissident of the PTI, would continue as the leader of opposition.

The government has appointed acting National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Zahir Shah after Aftab Sultan resigned last week. As the government will appoint a new NAB chairman, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz Ahmad would consult each other on the appointment. Sources said that Imran and his party had no logic to make such a claim.

Former PTI chief whip Malik Aamir Dogar had written a letter to Speaker Pervez Ashraf with the request that a new leader of the opposition in the National Assembly should be appointed before the selection of the new NAB chairman.

Sources pointed out that the former MNA from Multan in his letter claimed to be the chief whip of the PTI in the National Assembly, which was factually incorrect. Aamir Dogar said, “As you may be aware, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has decided on Feb 20 suspending your decision to de-notify MNAs belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-lnsaf. As a result, the largest opposition party in the National Assembly is now the PTI, and the Leader of the Opposition should now be from it.”

Sources pointed out that the LHC didn’t touch the notification issued by the speaker and for the reason acceptance of the resignations tendered by the PTI MNAs was held and they cannot attend the proceedings of the National Assembly. The court has suspended de-notification of MNAs issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). As a consequence of the suspension of the de-notification, by-polls in respective constituencies have been stayed by the court. Sources said that the final decision on the NAB chairman would be made by the prime minister after consulting coalition partners.

The PTI had demanded that the leader of the opposition should be appointed first, and through its consultation, the new NAB chairman should be appointed.

PTI’s former MNA Malik Aamir Dogar in his letter maintained, “According to the NAB law, the appointment of NAB chairman has to be made after consultation between the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition”.

He pleaded that the replacement of Aftab Sultan should only be finalized after consultation with the new opposition leader nominated by the PTI. The PTI has demanded Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf to issue a notification to removed Raja Riaz as the leader of the opposition.

Interestingly, Malik Aamir Dogar, who returned from Multan as an MNA, cannot attend the National Assembly in the wake of his resignation submitted along with other PTI members in April last year. Sources said that currently Raja Riaz Ahmad enjoys the support of 23 Members of the National Assembly while the PTI has five members. Malik Aamir Dogar wasn’t available for comments.