NA spells out procedure for appointment of opposition leader

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Secretariat has formally clarified that no proposal for appointment of new Leader of the Opposition can be entertained until the Speaker announces an official schedule on the floor of the house.

The National Assembly Secretariat said this while responding to a letter it had received from MNA Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar.

Clarifying the procedure for appointing the Leader of the Opposition, the National Assembly Secretariat has informed Dogar that the process cannot begin until the Speaker formally invites proposals on the floor of the National Assembly.

A spokesperson for the National Assembly Secretariat stated that the Secretariat has formally issued a written response to MNA Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar (NA-149) regarding his letter dated 6th October 2025 regarding the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition.

According to the spokesperson, the response letter draws attention to Rules 39 and 39-B of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, which outline the procedure for the submission of names and the declaration of the Leader of the Opposition. As stipulated under Rule 39(2), the Speaker announce the date, time, and place for Members of the National Assembly to submit their duly signed proposals for the appointment of Leader of Opposition.

The response further conveys that in line with parliamentary practice, such announcements are made on the floor of the House, allowing all Members an equal opportunity to propose a candidate for the position.

The spokesperson added that the letter clearly states that since the Speaker has not yet made any announcement regarding the schedule for submitting proposals for the Leader of the Opposition, no request or proposal can be entertained at this stage.

The Secretariat will proceed only once the requisite announcement is made by the Speaker in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business 2007.

In the issued response, the Secretariat has also referenced the recent order of the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan dated 29th October 2025, in CPLA 4446 to 4449 of 2025 (Omer Ayub Khan and others vs. the federation and Syed Shibli Faraz vs. the federation). Through this order, the Supreme Court set aside the earlier decision of the Peshawar High Court that had adjourned writ petitions sine die, and directed the High Court to determine the maintainability of those petitions and decide their fate.

The spokesperson confirmed that, as highlighted in the response letter, the matter concerning the disqualification of Omar Ayub Khan, former Leader of the Opposition, is presently sub-judice before the Peshawar High Court.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025