Opposition Leader
Days after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced its decision to sit on the opposition benches in the Centre and in Punjab, the party is considering naming Sanam Javaid as its opposition leader in the province if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz is made the province’s chief minister, according to sources.
This development comes after PTI’s Barrister Saif announced the formation of the opposition in the Centre and Punjab, where its sponsored candidates won 96 and 116 seats, respectively.
Some within the PTI are advocating for Javaid, a staunch party activist currently incarcerated over her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots, to be appointed as the opposition leader – on a reserved seat – in the country’s largest province. The move is seen as an effort to “give a tough time” to the PML-N scion, Maryam Nawaz, who has been nominated for the position of chief minister after winning the PP-159 Lahore-I seat.
Simultaneously, the name of former provincial minister Mian Aslam Iqbal has been suggested for the PTI’s chief ministerial candidate, according to the sources. Earlier in the week, Maryam had already been receiving briefings on various development-related and administrative matters in Punjab.
Javaid, who has been overtly critical of the PML-N leadership, was initially allowed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to contest the elections from NA-119, NA-120, and PP-125. However, despite the apex court’s approval, the PTI activist withdrew her candidacy from NA-119, where she was set to compete with Maryam for the National Assembly seat.
While the party initially announced plans to form a government in Punjab with Majlis-e-Wahdat-Muslimeen (MWM), it later decided to sit on the opposition benches due to PML-N’s majority in the province, holding 138 seats.
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