Leader of the Opposition (Pakistan)
{{Short description|Parliamentary position in Pakistan}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Leader of the Opposition
| body = Pakistan
| insignia = Emblem of National Assembly of Pakistan.png
| image = File:Omar Ayub Khan during Press Conference.png
| incumbent = Omar Ayub
| member_of = National Assembly of Pakistan
| reports_to = Parliament of Pakistan
| incumbentsince = 2 April 2024
| term length = While leader of the largest political party in the National Assembly that is not in government
| first = Kiran Shankar Roy
| style = The Honorable (formal)
Leader of the Opposition (spoken)
| constituting_instrument = Constitution of Pakistan
| formation = 7 July 1955, 63 years ago
}}
{{Politics of Pakistan}}
The leader of the opposition (Urdu: قائد حزب اختلاف) is the people's elected politician who is, by law, the leader of the Official Opposition in Pakistan. The leader of the opposition is the leader of the largest political party in the National Assembly that is not in government. This is usually the leader of the second-largest political party in the National Assembly.
The leader of the opposition is normally viewed as an alternative Prime Minister. There is also a leader of the opposition in the Senate, who is elected / nominated separately by the opposition members of the Senate of Pakistan.
Powers of the opposition leader
The leader of opposition has constitutional authority to consult with the elected prime minister for appointment of a caretaker prime minister. A caretaker prime minister is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and opposition leader.
They have constitutional authority to consult with the prime minister for appointment of the chief election commissioner and members of Election Commission of Pakistan. The president appoints the chief election commissioner and members after consultation with the opposition leader and prime minister.
The chairman of the National Accountability Bureau is appointed after consultation between the prime minister and opposition leader.
They also recommend names of two members of the National Assembly as members of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan from opposition benches for appointment of judges of Supreme Court, High Courts and Federal Shariat Court.
List
A list of the leaders of the opposition before and according to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.
{{legend|White|Independent|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|Green|Pakistan Muslim League (N)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Pakistan Peoples Party}}|Pakistan Peoples Party|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|red|National Awami Party|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Awami National Party}}|Awami National Party|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Pakistan Muslim League (Q)}}|Pakistan Muslim League (Q)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|Black|Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|LightGreen|Pakistan National Alliance|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf}}|Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| Leaders of the Opposition
! Portrait | Starting term | Ending term | Political affiliation | Political ideology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan National Congress}}; color:white" | 1
|9 August 1947 |22 January 1948 |PNC | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan National Congress}}; color:white" | 2
|23 January 1948 |6 July 1955 |PNC | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Awami League}}; color:white" | 3
|7 July 1955 |11 September 1956 |AL | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Muslim League (Pakistan)}}; color:white" | 4
|16 December 1957 |1 October 1958 |PML | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Combined Opposition Parties}}" | 5
|112x112px|| 1 January 1960 || 9 July 1967 || COP || Pakistani nationalism | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Democratic Front (Pakistan)}}; color:white" | 6
| |8 June 1962 |21 August 1964 |NDF | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Democratic Front (Pakistan)}}; color:white" | —
| 95x95px|| 12 June 1965 || 25 March 1969 || NDF || Islamic democracy | |||||
| style="background-color:red; color:white" | 7
| 14 April 1972 || 17 August 1975 || NAP|| Democratic socialism | |||||
| style="background-color:LightGreen" | 8
| Mufti Mehmood{{Cite web |title=Leaders of Opposition |url=https://www.na.gov.pk/en/print_list.php?type=oppleaders |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=www.na.gov.pk}} | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan Muslim League (F)}}" | 9
| 24 March 1985 || 29 May 1988 || PML(F) || National conservatism | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Awami National Party}}; color:white" | (7)
| 2 December 1988 || 6 August 1990 || ANP|| Democratic socialism | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan Peoples Party}}; color:white" | 10
|96x96px|| 6 November 1990 || 18 July 1993 || PPP || Democratic socialism | |||||
| style="background-color:DarkGreen; color:white" | 11
|96x96px|| 19 October 1993 || 5 November 1996 || PMLN || Pakistani conservatism | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan Peoples Party}}; color:white" | (10)
|96x96px|| 17 February 1997 || 12 October 1999 || PPP || Democratic socialism | |||||
| style="background-color:Black; color:white" | 12
|Fazal-ur-Rehman{{cite news |title=Fazl named leader of opposition: ARD rejects decision |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/394402/fazl-named-leader-of-opposition-ard-rejects-decision |work=DAWN |date=26 May 2004 |language=en}} |104x104px|| 25 March 2004 || 15 November 2007 || JUI (F) || Religious conservatism | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan Muslim League (Q)}}" | 13
| Parvez Elahi{{cite news |title=Parvaiz Elahi resigns as opposition leader |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/419214/parvaiz-elahi-resigns-as-opposition-leader |work=DAWN |date=14 September 2008 |language=en}} |75px||10 April 2008|| 16 September 2008 || PML(Q) || Conservatism | |||||
| style="background-color:DarkGreen; color:white" | 14
|Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan{{cite news |title=Nisar is now Leader of Opposition in NA |url=https://www.dawn.com/2008/09/18/nisar-is-now-leader-of-opposition-in-na |work=DAWN |date=18 September 2008 |language=en}} |75px|| 17 September 2008 || 7 June 2013 || PMLN || Pakistani conservatism | |||||
| style="background-color:{{party color|Pakistan Peoples Party}}; color:white" | 15
| Khurshid Shah{{cite news |title=PPP's Khursheed Shah declared leader of opposition in NA |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1016699/ppps-khursheed-shah-declared-leader-of-opposition-in-na |work=DAWN |date=7 June 2013 |language=en}} |75px||7 June 2013 || 31 May 2018 || PPP || Democratic socialism | |||||
| style="background-color:DarkGreen; color:white" | 16
|Shehbaz Sharif{{cite news |title=Shehbaz Sharif notified as Opposition Leader in NA |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/357818-shehbaz-sharif-notified-as-opposition-leader-in-na |work=The News International |date=20 August 2018 |language=en}} |75px|| 20 August 2018 || 10 April 2022 || PMLN || Pakistani conservatism | |||||
| style="background-color:red; color:white" | 17
|Raja Riaz{{cite news |title=Raja Riaz appointed opposition leader in NA |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2357508/raja-riaz-appointed-opposition-leader-in-na |work=The Express Tribune |date=20 May 2022 |language=en}} | | |||||
| style="background-color:red; color:white" | 18
|Omar Ayub{{cite news |last1=Sadozai |first1=Irfan |last2=Guramani |first2=Nadir |title=PTI's Omar Ayub made opposition leader in National Assembly |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1825243/ptis-omar-ayub-made-opposition-leader-in-national-assembly |work=DAWN |date=2 April 2024 |language=en}} |75px || 2 April 2024 || Incumbent || PTI |
