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 The table lists the people who were, or who acted as, leaders of the opposition in Pakistan's national legislature since the independence of the country in 1947.
This comprised the Constituent Assembly from 1947 to 1954, the second Constituent Assembly from 1955 to 1958, and subsequent National Assemblies following the passage of the Constitution of 1973.
Leaders of the Opposition Portrait Starting term Ending term Political affiliation Political ideology 1Kiran Shankar Roy9 August 194722 January 1948 Indian National Congress Secularism 2Sris Chandra Chattopadhyaya28 February 194824 October 1954Pakistan National Congress 3Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy7 July 195511 September 1956Awami LeagueIslamic socialism 4I. I. Chundrigar16 December 19571 October 1958Muslim LeaguePakistani nationalism 5Sardar Bahadur Khan8 June 196223 December 1963 Council Muslim League Islamic democracy 6Yusuf Khattak24 December 196322 January 1965 7 Nurul Amin 12 June 1965 25 March 1969 National Democratic Front Pakistani conservatism 8 Khan Abdul Wali Khan 14 April 1972 17 August 1975 National Awami Party Democratic socialism 9 Mufti Mehmood 17 August 1975 5 July 1977 Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Islamism 10Haji Saifullah Khan23 March 198519 March 1987 Independent Parliamentary Group National conservatism 11 Syed Fakhar Imam 3 May 1987 29 May 1988 12 Khan Abdul Wali Khan 2 December 1988 6 August 1990 Awami National Party Democratic socialism 13 Benazir Bhutto 6 November 1990 18 July 1993 Pakistan People's Party Democratic socialism 14Nawaz Sharif 19 October 1993 5 November 1996 Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistani conservatism 15 Benazir Bhutto 17 February 1997 12 October 1999 Pakistan People's Party Democratic socialism 16Fazal-ur-Rehman 25 March 2004 15 November 2007 Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Religious conservatism 17 Parvez Elahi 10 April 2008 16 September 2008 Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Conservatism 18Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan 17 September 2008 7 June 2013 Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistani conservatism 19 Khurshid Shah 7 June 2013 31 May 2018 Pakistan People's Party Democratic socialism 20Shehbaz Sharif 20 August 2018 10 April 2022 Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistani conservatism 21Imran Khan 11 April 2022 6 August 2023 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Insaaf 22Omar Ayub 2 April 2024 8 August 2025 Constitutionalism 23Mehmood Khan Achakzai 16 January 2026Incumbent Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Pashtun nationalism
See also National Assembly of Pakistan Government of Pakistan Politics of Pakistan Pakistan
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