PTI asks the speaker to alert the opposition leader.

On Thursday, a delegation headed by PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan met with Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to advocate for Mahmood Khan Achakzai to be appointed as the NA’s opposition leader.

However, according to party sources, the speaker informed the delegation—which also included Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar, and Atif Khan—that the case was under judicial review and that he could start the procedure as soon as he obtained a court order.

Barrister Gohar told reporters during the meeting that the PTI has already, in compliance with parliamentary regulations, filed a request for the opposition leader’s seat.

“The position belongs to those who sit on the opposition benches,” he stated. “Since we have the majority—with 74 members’ signatures—the position should go to us.”

To speed up the procedure, the PTI leader stated that his party would make an effort to acquire a copy of the Supreme Court’s ruling and give it to the speaker’s office by Monday.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq reportedly urged the PTI to participate positively in parliament, stating that mutual engagement and communication are necessary for political and democratic forces to advance.

He urged MPs to “advance the legislative process effectively and positively in the national interest,” saying he was prepared to fulfill his role in fostering better ties between the administration and the opposition.

On October 21, the PTI and other opposition parties in the NA made a formal request designating PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai as the opposition leader.

The application, signed by 74 MNAs, was submitted by a group of politicians. Because they were overseas, three PTI members were unable to sign the application.

In July and August of this year, Omar Ayub of the PTI, who had previously held the office, was de-notified after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) banned him from serving as a lawmaker due to his conviction in the May 9 riots charges.

Amendment to the Constitution

Article 243, which deals with the military forces, has been altered previously and would be reviewed again after a new draft is published, Gohar stated in response to the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendments.

Any constitutional amendment, he emphasized, “should be made through consensus, not just by a simple majority,” since the Constitution speaks for the whole country.

According to Gohar, the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award ensured that provincial shares would not be decreased, and upholding this idea was necessary to strengthen the federation.

Additionally, he called the recent police incident at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House “unwarranted.” If warrants were to be served, he stated, “it should be done through a court bailiff, not by sending police to such an important office.”

Absence of the rule of law

Former NA speaker Asad Qaiser told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court that cases filed in courts on political grounds and at the direction of the government were harming the judiciary’s reputation.

“There is no law left, and justice has disappeared from the nation. There are significant concerns about the decision of the larger bench to meet with the PTI founder not being carried out,” he continued.

According to him, the courts must carry out their essential responsibilities. “We expect judges, civic society, and all political forces to defend the Constitution’s supremacy. “Pakistan’s future is at stake here,” he continued.