Leader of the Opposition (Pakistan)

Parliamentary position in Pakistan

Leader of the Opposition of Pakistan

Incumbent
Vacant

since 08 August 2025

Style| The Honorable (formal)
Leader of the Opposition (spoken)
Member of| National Assembly of Pakistan
Reports to| Parliament of Pakistan
Constituting instrument| Constitution of Pakistan
Formation| 7 July 1955, 63 years ago
First holder| Kiran Shankar Roy

Politics of Pakistan

Federalism

* Federal government

* * *

*     * Provincial governments: Punjab
* Sindh
* KPK
* Balochistan
* Islamabad (Administration)

*     * Governors:  Sardar Saleem Haider(Punjab)
* Kamran Tessori(Sindh)
* Faisal Karim Kundi(KPK)
* Sheikh Jaffar Khan(Balochistan)
* Syed Mehdi Shah(Gilgit-Baltistan)

*     * Chief Ministers: Maryam Nawaz(Punjab)
* Murad Ali Shah(Sindh)
* Ali Amin Gandapur(KPK)
* Sarfraz Bugti(Balochistan)
* Gulbar Khan(Gilgit-Baltistan)

*     * Provincial assemblies of Pakistan: Punjab
* Sindh
* KPK
* Balochistan
* Gilgi-Baltistan

* * *

Azad Kashmir government

* President: Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry
* Prime Minister: Chaudhry Anwarul Haq
* Legislative Assembly

* * *

Government of Gilgit-Baltistan

* * *

Local government

* Divisions
* Districts
* Tehsil
* UCs

Parliament

* Senate (Upper House)

* Chairman: Yousaf Raza Gillani
* Deputy Chairman: Syedaal Khan Nasar (PML(N))
* Leader of the House: Ishaq Dar (PML(N))
* Opposition leader: Shibli Faraz (PTI)

* * *

* National Assembly (Lower House)

* Leader of the House: Shehbaz Sharif (PML(N))
* Speaker: Ayaz Sadiq (PML(N))
* Deputy speaker: Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah (PPP)
* Leader of the Opposition: Omar Ayub Khan

* * *

Constitution of Pakistan

*     * Previous constitutions:1956
* 1962
* 1973

* Annex (written 1949, incorporated 1985)
* Amendments
* Law
* Pakistan Penal Code
* Human rights

Executive

* President of Pakistan: Asif Ali Zardari (PPP)
* List of presidents of Pakistan

* * *

* Prime Minister of Pakistan: Shahbaz Sharif (PML-N)
* List of prime ministers of Pakistan

* * *

* Cabinet of Pakistan
* Cabinet Secretary

Judiciary

* Supreme Court of Pakistan
* Chief Justice: Yahya Afridi
* List of justices
* Judges appointment body: Supreme Judicial Council and Judicial Commission

* * *

* High courts: Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, Shariat Court

* * *

* Territorial courts: AJK supreme court, AJK High court, Gilgit-Baltistan supreme court, Gilgit-Baltistan High Court

* * *

* Special courts: Anti Terrorism Courts, Accountability Courts

* * *

*     * District Courts

Elections

* Democracy
* Election Commission of Pakistan
* Chief Election Commissioner: Sikandar Sultan Raja
* Electoral College

* * *

Territorial election commission

* AJK Election Commission
* Chief Election Commissioner of AJK: Abdul Rashid Sulehria
* Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission
* Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan: Raja Shah Baz Khan

* * *

Elections

*     * Presidential: 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * General: 1970
* 1977
* 1985
* 1988
* 1990
* 1993
* 1997
* 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

* * *

Provincial elections

*     * Punjab: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * Sindh: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * KPK: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * Balochistan: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

* * *

Territorial elections

*     * Azad Kashmir: 1970
* 1975
* 1985
* 1990
* 1991
* 1996
* 2001
* 2006
* 2011
* 2016
* 2021

*     * Gilgit-Baltistan: 2009
* 2015
* 2020

* * *

Political parties

* Pakistan Muslim League (N)
* Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
* Pakistan Peoples Party
* Complete list

Administrative units

Capital territory

* Islamabad

Provinces

* Balochistan
* Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
* Punjab
* Sindh

* * *

Autonomous region

* Azad Kashmir
* Gilgit-Baltistan

Foreign relations

Diplomacy

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Secretary
* Diplomatic missions of / in Pakistan

* * *

Customs

* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* * *

Regional topics

* Kashmir conflict
* India
* China
* United States

Pakistan portal

* v
* t
* e

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

A list of the leaders of the opposition before and according to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.[1]

Sunni Ittehad Council

Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Pakistan Peoples Party

National Awami Party

Awami National Party

Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)

Pakistan National Alliance

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

| Leaders of the Opposition  | Portrait | Starting term | Ending term | Political affiliation | Political ideology

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Kiran Shankar Roy |  | 9 August 1947  | 22 January 1948  | PNC | Secularism
2  | Dhirendranath Datta |  | 23 January 1948  | 6 July 1955  | PNC | Secularism
3  | Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy |  | 7 July 1955  | 11 September 1956  | AL | Islamic socialism
4  | I. I. Chundrigar |  | 16 December 1957  | 1 October 1958  | PML | Pakistani nationalism
5  | Sardar Bahadur Khan |  | 8 June 1962  | 21 August 1964  | NDF | Islamic democracy
6  | Nurul Amin |  | 12 June 1965 | 25 March 1969 | NDF | Islamic democracy
7  | Khan Abdul Wali Khan |  | 14 April 1972 | 17 August 1975 | NAP | Democratic socialism
8  | Mufti Mehmood[1] |  | 17 August 1975 | 5 July 1977 | PNA | Islamism
9  | Syed Fakhar Imam |  | 24 March 1985 | 29 May 1988 | PML(F) | National conservatism
(7)  | Khan Abdul Wali Khan |  | 2 December 1988 | 6 August 1990 | ANP | Democratic socialism
10  | Benazir Bhutto |  | 6 November 1990 | 18 July 1993 | PPP | Democratic socialism
11  | Nawaz Sharif |  | 19 October 1993 | 5 November 1996 | PMLN | Pakistani conservatism
(10)  | Benazir Bhutto |  | 17 February 1997 | 12 October 1999 | PPP | Democratic socialism
12  | Fazal-ur-Rehman[2] |  | 25 March 2004 | 15 November 2007 | JUI (F) | Religious conservatism
13  | Parvez Elahi[3] |  | 10 April 2008 | 16 September 2008 | PML(Q) | Conservatism
14  | Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan[4] |  | 17 September 2008 | 7 June 2013 | PMLN | Pakistani conservatism
15  | Khurshid Shah[5] |  | 7 June 2013 | 31 May 2018 | PPP | Democratic socialism
16  | Shehbaz Sharif[6] |  | 20 August 2018 | 10 April 2022 | PMLN | Pakistani conservatism
17  | Raja Riaz[7] |  | 20 May 2022 | 10 August 2023 | PTI | Welfarism
18  | Omar Ayub[8] |  | 2 April 2024 | 8 August 2025[9] | SIC | Pan-Islamism

## See also

[edit]

* National Assembly of Pakistan
* Government of Pakistan
* Politics of Pakistan
* Pakistan

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Leaders of Opposition". www.na.gov.pk. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
2. ^ "Fazl named leader of opposition: ARD rejects decision". DAWN. 26 May 2004.
3. ^ "Parvaiz Elahi resigns as opposition leader". DAWN. 14 September 2008.
4. ^ "Nisar is now Leader of Opposition in NA". DAWN. 18 September 2008.
5. ^ "PPP's Khursheed Shah declared leader of opposition in NA". DAWN. 7 June 2013.
6. ^ "Shehbaz Sharif notified as Opposition Leader in NA". The News International. 20 August 2018.
7. ^ "Raja Riaz appointed opposition leader in NA". The Express Tribune. 20 May 2022.
8. ^ Sadozai, Irfan; Guramani, Nadir (2 April 2024). "PTI's Omar Ayub made opposition leader in National Assembly". DAWN.
9. ^ "PTI leader Omar Ayub removed as Opposition Leader in Paks National Assembly". The Tribune. Retrieved 2025-08-09.

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Leaders of the opposition of Pakistan

* Suhrawardy
* Chundrigar
* Bahadur Khan
* Amin
* Wali-Khan
* Mazari
* Saifullah Khan
* Imam
* Wali-Khan
* Bhutto
* N. Sharif
* Bhutto
* Fazl-ur-Rehman
* Elahi
* Nisar
* Khurshid Shah
* S. Sharif
* Raja Riaz
* Omar Ayub

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