- Senate chairman announces appointment of PTI-backed MWM chief under Rule 16
- Post vacant since Aug 2025 after Shibli Faraz’s disqualification as Abbas secures support of 22 out of 32 opposition senators
- New opposition leader declares himself Imran Khan’s ‘loyal companion,’ vowing never to compromise on principles or violate oath he had taken as a senator
ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday officially notified Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief and PTI-backed Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas as the leader of the opposition in the Senate, ending months of delay marked by “political bickering and procedural wrangling.”
According to a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat, the appointment was made under sub-rule (3) of Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, and took effect immediately.
The development comes less than a week after the appointment of the opposition leader in the National Assembly, bringing an end to months-long delays in filling key opposition slots in Parliament. Earlier this month, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai was appointed opposition leader in the lower house.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had nominated Allama Raja Nasir Abbas for the Senate opposition leader’s post in October 2025. PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar confirmed that the Senate chairman had informed him a day earlier that Abbas’s appointment would be formally notified on Tuesday.
Barrister Zafar had formally written to the Senate chairman seeking the appointment and later stated on social media that he had discussed the matter during a meeting with Gilani, who agreed to the opposition’s demand and assured that the announcement would be made on the Senate floor.
Abbas — who is also vice chairman of TTAP — had been chosen by PTI founder Imran Khan as the opposition’s nominee for the slot, which had remained vacant since August 2025.
“In pursuance of sub-rule (3) of Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, the chairman Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Raja Nasir Abbas as leader of the opposition in the Senate, with immediate effect,” read the notification issued by the Senate Secretariat.
Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani also formally announced Abbas’s appointment during Tuesday’s session of the House.
As proceedings began, Gilani said he wished to place on record the legal and procedural background relating to the declaration of the leader of the opposition in the Senate.
He explained that Rule 16 mandates the chairman Senate to declare as leader of the opposition the member who commands the support of the majority of opposition members.
Referring to the past delay, Gilani said the office of the opposition leader fell vacant following the disqualification of former senator Syed Shibli Faraz by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) through a notification dated August 5, 2025, followed by a consequential Senate Secretariat notification on August 8, 2025.
He said the notifications were challenged before the Peshawar High Court, which issued restraining orders, preventing further action. In view of the pending judicial proceedings, the matter remained under consideration for legal examination and procedural guidance to ensure that no step conflicted with the court’s proceedings.
“The earlier deferment was therefore procedural, occasioned by institutional prudence, due deference to judicial authority and the rule of law,” Gilani explained.
“There being no legal bar, I now proceed in accordance with Rule 16 … and hereby declare Senator Raja Nasir Abbas as the leader of the opposition in the Senate,” he announced.
At this point, the announcement was met with desk-thumping and slogans in favour of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan.
Gilani then stated that Abbas had secured the support of 22 out of 32 opposition members and directed the Senate secretary to issue the formal notification immediately.
Following the ruling, Abbas rose from his seat and moved to the opposition leader’s seat amid applause, shaking hands with fellow senators as he proceeded. Gilani later congratulated him on assuming the role.
Allama Abbas’s maiden address as opposition leader
In his maiden address as leader of the opposition, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas credited Imran Khan for his political career, saying, “He made me a senator.”
میں واضح کرنا چاہتا ہوں کہ میں عمران خان کا باوفا ساتھی ہوں۔ مجھے سینیٹر بھی عمران خان ہی نے بنایا۔ میں کبھی بھی اصولوں پر سمجھوتہ نہیں کروں گا اور نہ ہی آئین کی خلاف ورزی کا حصہ بنوں گا۔ پاکستان کی حفاظت اور اس کی سلامتی کے لیے جو کچھ بھی میرے بس میں ہوا، وہ ضرور کروں گا۔… pic.twitter.com/F5Aevx4Dt0
— Senator Allama Raja Nasir (@AllamaRajaNasir) January 20, 2026
He declared himself Imran Khan’s “loyal companion,” vowing never to compromise on principles or violate the oath he had taken as a senator. Abbas said he would make every possible effort to serve the security, betterment and national interest of the country.
آج عمران خان ایک مقبول سیاسی رہنما ہیں، اور نیشن بلڈنگ کے عمل میں ایک مقبول اور عوامی تائید رکھنے والے لیڈر کی موجودگی غیر معمولی اہمیت رکھتی ہے۔ قومیں اسی وقت بنتی ہیں جب عوام اپنے رہنما پر اعتماد کریں اور خود کو ایک مشترک مقصد کے ساتھ وابستہ محسوس کریں۔ یہی پہلا اور بنیادی… pic.twitter.com/OjcjpfSXRb
— Senator Allama Raja Nasir (@AllamaRajaNasir) January 20, 2026
Thanking treasury members for welcoming him, Abbas termed their gesture positive and said the Senate must play a role in addressing public difficulties and ensuring people-friendly legislation.
Highlighting the importance of the Constitution, he described it as a social contract with the people, stressing that laws, institutions and state pillars function within its framework. “The Constitution is sacred,” he said, warning that societies descend into chaos when laws are not respected.
He said Pakistan was facing multiple challenges, including lawlessness, and lamented the erosion of public trust in institutions, including Parliament, the judiciary and the executive.
Abbas warned that governments lose their soft and national power when they lose public trust, adding that national strength is not built through weapons but through justice, rule of law and constitutional supremacy.
Referring to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he cited displacement during counterterrorism operations as an example of injustice, stressing that peace could not be restored without the support and trust of local populations.
جیسے کل محمود خان صاحب نے قومی اسمبلی میں کہا:
ہم ہر اچھے کام میں آپ کا ساتھ دیں گے۔قرآنِ مجید بھی ہمیں یہی درس دیتا ہے:
“نیکی اور تقویٰ کے کاموں میں ایک دوسرے سے تعاون کرو،
اور گناہ، ظلم اور زیادتی میں تعاون نہ کرو۔”اچھے کاموں میں ہم آپ کے ساتھ کھڑے ہوں گے،
لیکن جہاں ظلم،… pic.twitter.com/5wC6stYCEA— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) January 20, 2026
He emphasised that it was Parliament’s responsibility to stand for justice and said the ongoing political crisis must end for the resolution of economic and law-and-order challenges.
Abbas said the crisis stemmed from the February 8, 2024 general elections, which the opposition alleges were rigged. He also alleged that TTAP members were subjected to violence during a recent visit to Punjab.
Calling for political freedoms, he said peaceful protest within constitutional limits strengthened the country rather than weakened it.
He asserted that the release of Imran Khan was essential to resolving the political crisis, claiming the former prime minister enjoyed overwhelming public support. He also urged the Senate to speak up for the release of “political prisoners.”
Abbas stressed that only those elected by the people had the constitutional right to rule and said the presence of a popular leader was vital for nation-building. He reiterated that politicians alone should govern the country, adding that institutions must remain within their constitutional domains.
He also called for Pakistan to take a principled stand against US President Donald Trump’s threats to Iran, suggesting that a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) be convened to prevent regional conflict.
ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ یہ کہتا ہے کہ میں بہت طاقتور ہوں۔
وہ وینزویلا کے وسائل پر ہاتھ ڈالنے کی بات کرتا ہے اور کھلے عام یہ اعلان کرتا ہے کہ میں ایران پر حملہ کروں گا۔میں اس ایوان کے ذریعے یہ سوال اٹھانا چاہتا ہوں:
تم ہوتے کون ہو؟
کہاں سے آئے ہو کہ قوموں کے مستقبل کا فیصلہ کرو گے؟
کون سا… pic.twitter.com/i8z78U3NLa— Senator Allama Raja Nasir (@AllamaRajaNasir) January 20, 2026
‘Should sit together to improve electoral system’
Speaking after Abbas, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah congratulated the new opposition leader and praised his balanced tone.
Responding to remarks on election rigging, Sanaullah recalled similar allegations following the 2018 elections, suggesting that all political parties should acknowledge flaws in the electoral process and work together to reform it.
“If we agree elections cannot be fully trusted, then we should sit together and make the electoral system better,” he said, proposing dialogue on electoral rules and the Election Commission.
He also agreed that political issues should be resolved politically and referred to the Charter of Democracy signed in 2006 by Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.
Sanaullah questioned narratives that blamed the establishment for political agitation and stressed that dialogue between the government and opposition was the only way forward.
Months-long delay
The position of opposition leader in the Senate had remained vacant since August 2025 following the disqualification of Shibli Faraz, along with Omar Ayub, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, by the ECP over convictions related to the May 9, 2023 riots.
PTI later nominated Abbas for the Senate slot and Achakzai for the NA position. On Monday, Barrister Ali Zafar confirmed that Gilani had informed him the Senate notification would be issued on Tuesday.
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