Abbas gets 22 votes among opposition members, Senate Secretariat instructed to issue official notification
Raja Nasir Abbas, new leader of the opposition in the Senate. Photo: YouTube screenshot/Senate of Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD:
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has been officially appointed Leader of Opposition in the Senate, filling a post that has been vacant for five months.
The announcement was made during a Senate session chaired by Yousuf Raza Gilani, during which Abbas received 22 votes from opposition members, according to the president. The Senate Secretariat has been directed to issue the official notification immediately.
President Gilani officially declared Raja Nasir Abbas leader of the opposition in the Senate. During the proceedings, PML-N Senator Nasir Butt questioned the Senate President on Abbas’s party affiliation, noting that he is not a member of the PTI, and asked if the party did not have an eligible candidate for the post.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarrar and PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah welcomed the new Leader of Opposition in the House. The senators also congratulated Raja Nasir Abbas on his seat.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ali Zafar on Monday confirmed that Senate President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has decided on the appointment of Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as Leader of Opposition in the upper house of Parliament and the process has begun.
Read: PTI’s Ali Zafar says Senate President chose Raja Nasir Abbas as opposition leader
Zafar said the Senate President recalled during a meeting that he had earlier said that he was consulting with the Speaker of the National Assembly regarding the issuance of a notification to the leader of the opposition in the upper house.
Addressing the media outside the Supreme Court yesterday, lawyer Gohar mentioned that the PTI founder had nominated Achakzai and Allama Abbas as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, and it would be ideal if both nominations were approved.
Since NA President Ayaz Sadiq decided and nominated Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the NA Opposition Leader, Zafar said Gilani was also asked to announce the PTI candidate for the post of Opposition Leader in the Senate.
Last week, the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, had said he expected progress in appointing the opposition leader to the Senate by this week, following Achakzai’s appointment as opposition leader in the National Assembly.
In October last year, the PTI had nominated Achakzai and Allama Abbas as candidates for the positions of opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate respectively.
After months of delay, Achakzai was appointed to the post last week after Sadiq issued his notification.
