LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan announced on Friday that the opposition leader position in the provincial assembly has been declared vacant. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling that overturned previous decisions by the Peshawar High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding reserved seats.
“The opposition leader, Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, was appointed based on the support of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). However, with the Supreme Court’s ruling dismantling the SIC’s parliamentary status, which has now been deprived of its official standing, the position has consequently become vacant,” Speaker Malik said during a press conference in Lahore.
The Supreme Court’s verdict, delivered on July 12, declared Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for reserved seats designated for women and minorities. This ruling represents a significant setback for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition. The SIC’s appeal against the denial of these reserved seats was overturned, resulting in the PTI-backed candidates, who had initially run as independents, aligning with the SIC to form a temporary coalition.
Despite some skepticism regarding the speaker’s decision, legal experts like Supreme Court Bar Association President Shehzad Shaukat and senior lawyer Mubeen Qazi support the move, arguing it aligns with the court’s judgment. They contend that since the SIC lost its parliamentary status, it is logical for the officeholder, nominated by the SIC, to be replaced by a PTI nominee.
In addition, Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan addressed allegations of bias against the opposition, emphasizing that 70 percent of assembly time has been allocated to opposition proceedings. He criticized opposition MPAs for using abusive language against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and for boycotting an assembly session while signing the roll for allowances.
The speaker also clarified that recent purchases of luxury cars from assembly funds are for official use during visits by national and international dignitaries, a practice consistent with other elected houses in the country.
Meanwhile, the opposition’s absence was noted during elections for the chairpersons of three standing committees, with PML-N’s Samiullah Khan, Khurram Virk, and Agha Ali Haider being elected unopposed.
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