Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s Appointment as Opposition Leader Challenged in Federal Constitutional Court

Islamabad: The appointment of Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly has been challenged in the Federal Constitutional Court.

The petition was filed by Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The petitioner argued that the position of Leader of the Opposition plays a key role in major appointments to the Judicial Commission and the Election Commission, making the legality of the appointment critically important.

The petition contends that under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, a convicted or disqualified individual cannot nominate or be nominated for the office of Opposition Leader. It has requested the court to declare Achakzai’s appointment notification null and void.

According to the plea, the Speaker of the National Assembly failed to independently verify the signatures of members under Rule 39(3). It was argued that in the past, the Speaker personally summoned members to verify resignations, but in this case, the prescribed procedure was allegedly ignored.

The petition further states that issuing the notification without proper verification of signatures is not merely a procedural error but a violation of the Constitution, given the constitutional significance of the Opposition Leader’s role in key institutional appointments.