MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir was on Monday designated Leader of the Opposition in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, replacing Khawaja Farooq Ahmed of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
Earlier in the day, senior PML-N leader and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider visited the chamber of Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar to submit an application, signed by all nine PML-N lawmakers, proposing the name of their regional president for the opposition leader’s slot, a position that carries perks and privileges equivalent to those of a cabinet member.
In the Speaker’s absence, the application was handed over to his staff member, Chaudhry Murad Ali.
Later, a notification issued in the afternoon by a deputy secretary stated: “Under Rule 17(a) of the Rules of Procedure of the AJK Legislative Assembly, the Speaker has approved the appointment of Shah Ghulam Qadir as Leader of the Opposition on the basis of the opinion of the majority of opposition members.”
Two PTI’s forward bloc members about to switch loyalty, PML-N claims
Highly placed PML-N sources told Dawn that Mr Haider was also an aspirant for the office, but the party’s top leadership — PM Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif — had approved Mr Qadir’s name.
During the recent change of government, PML-N lawmakers had voted in favour of the no-trust resolution against Mr Haq, which subsequently brought PPP’s Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore to power. However, they had made it clear that their support was limited to ousting Mr Haq and that they would not be part of the government.
Following the installation of the present assembly in August 2021, Mr Akbar — the incumbent Speaker — had been the first opposition leader on the joint recommendation of the PPP and PML-N.
Interestingly, even after both parties joined the coalition government led by Chaudhry Anwarul Haq — the leader of the PTI renegades — on April 20, 2023, Mr Akbar continued to hold the office until June 3, when he was elected Speaker. Mr Ahmed was subsequently designated Leader of the Opposition on July 11, the same year.
The PTI had originally held 32 seats in the 53-member house, but its two-thirds majority splintered during the formation of the coalition government in April 2023.
Of the remaining 22 PTI renegades, 12 have formally joined the PPP, three are aligned with the PPP without formal induction, and one joined the PML-N. Five PTI dissidents appear to be operating as a separate group, while Pir Saeed ‘s future political course remains unclear.
A PML-N lawmaker claimed that two PTI “forward bloc” members from Mr Haq’s group were likely to join the PML-N in the near future.
Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2025
