ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shahbaz Sharif is set to become the leader of the opposition in the country’s 15th National Assembly as 111 MNAs have nominated him for the slot.

Speaker Asad Qaiser told the house on Friday that he had received Mr Sharif’s nomination as the opposition leader signed by 111 members from the opposition benches.

The leader of the opposition will be notified on Monday.

While the Pakistan Peoples Party had abstained from voting for Shahbaz Sharif for the office of prime minister, it appeared that some PPP lawmakers had also recommended Mr Sharif as the opposition leader.

The PPP has a total of 43 MNAs.

The total strength of the PML-N in the house is 82 followed by the Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal (15) and the Awami National Party (one).

The collective number of the three opposition parties is 98 and the support of 111 lawmakers to Mr Sharif indicated that some PPP members also supported his candidature for the slot of the leader of the opposition.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

NAP revival
Updated 17 Mar, 2025

NAP revival

This bloody cycle of violence will continue unless action is complemented with social, economic, political efforts in Balochistan and KP.
New reality
17 Mar, 2025

New reality

THE US retreat from global climate finance commitments could not have come at a worse time. Pakistan faces an...
Killer traffic
17 Mar, 2025

Killer traffic

MYSTERIOUS and unstoppable. It is these words that perhaps best describe the recent surge in traffic-related...
After the review
Updated 16 Mar, 2025

After the review

Should prepare economy for durable growth by attracting foreign private investments to boost productivity and exports.
Embracing crypto
16 Mar, 2025

Embracing crypto

IT seems a little prod was all it took for Pakistan to finally ‘embrace the future’. The Pakistan Crypto Council...
Fault lines
16 Mar, 2025

Fault lines

IT was a distressing spectacle, though a sadly predictable one. As the National Assembly took up for discussion the...