ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has submitted a list of five candidates to its imprisoned founder, Imran Khan, for the appointment of the Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly.
The PTI’s political committee has shortlisted Moin Riaz, Ali Imtiaz, Ejaz Shafi, Sheikh Imtiaz, and Rana Shehbaz as potential candidates. Imran Khan is expected to make the final decision on who will take up the key opposition role in the provincial legislature.
The party is under pressure to finalize the nomination ahead of the forthcoming session of the Punjab Assembly.
In a related development, the party has also paused its earlier nominations for opposition leadership in both the National Assembly and the Senate. The proposed appointments of Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Azam Swati have been put on hold pending the outcomes of legal appeals filed by Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz.
Commenting on the situation, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja stated that the party leadership remains committed to its current nominees. He also confirmed that Imran Khan had suggested alternate names for opposition roles. “We trust the judiciary and are hopeful for a favorable verdict,” Raja added.
Reports suggest growing friction within PTI over Khan’s decision to nominate Mehmood Achakzai as the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly. Several senior leaders have voiced concerns, arguing that there are sufficient qualified candidates within PTI’s own ranks to take on the responsibility.
The matter has sparked debate in both the political and parliamentary wings of the party, with some members urging reconsideration. Others, however, insist that the directives issued by Imran Khan, even from jail, should be accepted without dispute.
