Secures 22 votes from opposition members, says only solution to political crisis is to ‘free Imran Khan’
Newly appointed Senate opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas Photo: Screengrab YouTube/Senate of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas was officially appointed as the leader of the opposition in the Senate on Tuesday, filling a position that has been vacant for the past five months.
The announcement came during a session chaired by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, where Abbas secured 22 votes from opposition members. The Senate Secretariat was instructed to issue the official notification immediately.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarrar and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah welcomed the new opposition leader in the House while other senators also congratulated Abbas at his seat. However, PML-N Senator Nasir Butt questioned the Senate chairman about Abbas’s party affiliation, noting that he was not a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and asked whether the party had no eligible candidate for the post.
The PTI had nominated Maqhmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Abbas as its candidates for the positions of the NA and Senate opposition leaders, respectively, in October last year. Following months of delay, Achakzai was appointed to the position last week after Sadiq issued his notification.
In his maiden speech as the Senate opposition leader, Allama Abbas called for stronger rule of law and emphasised the need to involve the public in governance.
“Today, Pakistan is suffering from many problems, and one of the biggest is lawlessness. It is the duty of lawmakers to address injustice and ensure people get their rights,” he said. “People do not have confidence in the government. People do not trust Parliament. People do not trust the judiciary. The biggest problem of Pakistan’s population is that they do not trust the system.”
He warned that soft power alone could not sustain trust. “Without rule of law, people cannot live together. How will you keep 260 million people united without justice?” Abbas added.
The Senate oppoosition leader said there was only one way to solve Pakistan’s political crisis: “free Imran Khan”.
He said the government could not move forward while keeping popular political leaders in jail, referring to past incidents in the country’s history.
Abbas stressed that societal cohesion relies on laws. “Allah has created people so that everyone lives together … A society cannot function without rules,” he said. “The constitution is a social contract between the government and the people…Our laws say that no institution should interfere in the affairs of another.”
The MWM chief also criticised the handling of security operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the evacuations of populations in the Tirah valley ahead of military operations. “Look at K-P. Is it not unjust that people are uprooted just to eliminate a few terrorists?” he said.
Abbas stressed the importance of public consent in decisionmaking.
“In K-P, a jirga was held. All political parties and leaders participated. It was a unanimous decision that there should be no operation. People must be included in decisions. Do not displace them. Take elders and communities into confidence.”
He further highlighted attacks on protesters and restrictions on free speech during his travel through Punjab and Sindh, asking, “Can a system be run by pressuring people and suppressing their voices?”
Abbas urged healing and national unity, noting regional disparities. “For nation-building, a popular leader is necessary. Education is vital. If one region develops and another is left behind, unity is impossible,” he said.
The Senate opposition leader criticised inequality and public neglect, adding, “People do not have money for electricity bills, education or medicines. Pakistan was not created for the elite; it was created for the people.”
On Monday, PTI Senator Ali Zafar confirmed that Gilani had decided on Abbas’s appointment as the Senate opposition leader and the process for it had begun.
Read: PTI’s Ali Zafar says Senate chairman has decided on Raja Nasir Abbas as opposition leader
Zafar said the Senate chairman was reminded during a meeting that he had previously stated he was consulting with the National Assembly speaker regarding the issuance of a notification for the opposition leader in the upper house.
Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court yesterday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan mentioned that PTI founder Imran Khan had nominated Achakzai and Abbas for the position of opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, and it would be ideal if both nominations were approved.
Since NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had decided and appointed Achakzai as the NA opposition leader, Zafar said Gilani was also requested to announce PTI’s nominee for the Senate opposition leader.
Last week, Sanaullah had said that he expected progress on the Senate opposition leader’s appointment by this week, following Achakzai’s appointment as the opposition leader in the National Assembly.
