ISLAMABAD: Three key positions held by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) within the National Assembly have been officially vacated, as the roles of Opposition Leader, Parliamentary Leader, and Deputy Parliamentary Leader have been declared empty, according to recent news.
The Speaker of the National Assembly is set to issue a formal notification for the appointment of a new Opposition Leader shortly.
Additionally, PTI-supported independent members are now required to submit updated nominations for the responsibilities of Parliamentary Leader and Deputy Parliamentary Leader.
Moreover, PTI leader Omar Ayub has been removed from both the Public Accounts Committee and the Finance Committee following his disqualification.
The disqualification of seven PTI lawmakers has led to the removal of their names from the membership rolls of 15 standing committees.
Among the changes, Sahibzada Hamid Raza has been removed as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights, while Zartaj Gul has lost her place in the same committee.
Rai Hassan Nawaz has also been removed from his position as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Railways.
This restructuring comes after a series of disqualifications and signifies a major change in the PTI’s position within the Parliament.
Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified PTI lawmakers, including the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, and the Senate Opposition Leader, Shibli Faraz, after being convicted in relation to the May 9 riots cases.
The ECP has officially notified the disqualifications under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, which prohibits individuals with criminal convictions from holding parliamentary seats.
The list of disqualified lawmakers includes National Assembly member Zartaj Gul as well as other MNAs such as Rai Haider Ali, SIC Chairman Hamid Raza, and Rai Hassan Nawaz.
Other disqualifications involved MPAs Ansar Iqbal, Junaid Afzal Sahi, and Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, with the ECP providing formal notifications.
The disqualifications were issued after an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad sentenced several PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and Shibli Faraz, to ten years in prison for involvement in the May 9 riots cases.
On the other hand, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi and Khayal Kastro were acquitted in these cases.
Junaid Afzal Sahi received a three-year prison sentence, while Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, the nephew of Sheikh Rashid, and SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza were given ten-year terms.
Other convicted PTI leaders are Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz, Mrs. Farrukh Agha, Farkhunda Kokab, Kanwal Shauzab, Mohammad Ahmad Chattha, Chaudhry Asif Ali, Shakeel Ahmad Khan Niazi, Sardar Azimullah Khan, Mehr Muhammad Javed, and Muhammad Ansar Iqbal.
