Pakistan: Speaker names PTI's Omar Ayub Khan as leader of opposition in National Assembly

The development came as members of the opposition, including PTI chairman Gohar Khan, Amir Dogar and Omar Ayub Khan held a meeting with Ayub Sadiq.

Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq named senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub Khan as the leader of the opposition in the lower house of Parliament, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. The development came as members of the opposition, including PTI chairman Gohar Khan, Amir Dogar and Omar Ayub Khan held a meeting with Ayub Sadiq, Dawn reported, citing a press release issued by the Assembly Secretariat.

According to the statement, the nomination of the leader of the opposition was discussed during the meeting. Ayub's name was submitted for the position of leader of the opposition, according to the Dawn report. After the completion of the scrutiny process under Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, Sadiq declared Ayub as the leader of the opposition.

According to the statement, the deadline to submit nomination papers for the slot was till 6 pm on Monday. The statement further said that no other candidates' nomination papers were received by the stipulated time, Dawn reported. Pakistan's National Assembly Secretariat said that Ayub had been declared the opposition leader with effect from April 2, according to the notification. On March 9, the PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) alliance formally nominated Ayub for the leader of the opposition by submitting his documents to the office of the speaker.

While the majority of the PTI-backed winning independent candidates of national and provincial assemblies had submitted affidavits to the Election Commission to officially join the SIC in February, Ayub and Gohar had not done as they had plans to contest PTI intra-party elections. Later, Gohar and Ayub were elected unopposed as the chairman and secretary general of the party, respectively. The leader of the opposition, who sits in front of Pakistan's National Assembly speaker on his left side and the right side of the leader of the house, enjoys the status of a federal minister.

Furthermore, the leader of the opposition gets a separate office where mainly opposition parties hold meetings, Dawn reported. The leader of the opposition heads the Public Accounts Committee. (ANI)

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