The news of PTI Patron-in-chief Imran Khan’s nominations for the Leaders of the Opposition in both the National Assembly and the Senate came on the same day as the Election Commission of Pakistan announced by-elections on those National Assembly seats which had been declared vacant after their holders were convicted by an anti-terrorism court for being guilty of the attacks on military installations of 9 May 2023. Those convicted had included Shibli Faraz, the Leader of Opposition in the Senate, and Umar Ayub Khan, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly. The conviction had meant that they would lose their seats. Mr Khan has so far not named anyone to replace Ahmad Khan Bhachar, the erstwhile Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, who has also been denotified from his post. Previously, the PTI had vowed to resist what amounted to a decapitation strike, but it seems that now it seems to be reconciling with the unpleasant reality, and is not willing to concede anything which it has won. It has not got the Prime Ministership it claims Mr Khan has won, and is not willing to give up even the Leaderships of the Opposition, positions it has by virtue of being the largest opposition party in both Houses.
It is possible to see a comedown in the nomination of Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the Leadership of the Opposition of the National Assembly, for though Mr Achakzai has many sterling qualities, and though he has grown closer to the PTI since the last election, he is not a PTI member. However, the PTI has itself retained the Leadership of the Opposition in the Senate, with Azam Swati a member of the federal cabinet.
The decision shows its acceptance of the decision, while it is still not clear whether it will put up candidates in the by -elections on the vacated seats. Leaving those seats to the government may not be the wisest course, for the PTI is after all an electoral party, which has contesting elections as its purpose. The seats seem safe, for they were all won by very handsome margins, and the official advantage would at best see a reduction of that majority. However, if the PTI indeed has lost popularity, as has been claimed by a ruling PML(N) spokesperson, on the rather thin basis of one by-election result, it might indeed wish to avoid embarrassment.
