In a sweeping leadership shakeup, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was dealt a fresh blow on Friday as opposition leaders in both the National Assembly and Senate — Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz — were de-notified following their disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The dual removals, rooted in convictions tied to the May 9 riots, come as the party's leadership bench continues to grow thinner and internal recalibrations pick up pace, with senior stalwart Sher Afzal Marwat tipped for a potential return.
The National Assembly Secretariat, in a notification dated August 7, confirmed Ayub's removal.
"Consequent upon disqualification and de-notification of Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan from being a member of the National Assembly (NA-18 Haripur) under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan — the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly has become vacant with effect from August 5th, 2025," it read.
Similarly, the Senate Secretariat issued a parallel notification stating: "Consequent upon disqualification and de-notification of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, from being a member of the Senate under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan — the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate has become vacant with effect from 5th August".
The latest challenge adds to a growing list of setbacks for PTI, which recently saw three major leadership roles vanish in one fell swoop. In addition to Omar Ayub's exit, Zartaj Gul was relieved of her duties as parliamentary leader, while Ahmad Chatha lost his position as deputy parliamentary leader. The party has also been denied access to the opposition leader's chamber.
The fallout continues as Omar Ayub has been removed from both the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Finance Committee. Seven other disqualified MNAs were stripped of their memberships in various standing committees, amounting to a total loss of 15 committee slots for PTI, including key chairmanships.
Among the casualties, Sahibzada Hamid Raza was removed as chair of the Standing Committee on Human Rights, while Zartaj Gul lost her seat on the same forum. Rai Hassan Nawaz was also stripped of his role as chair of the Railway Committee.
Another PTI seat wobbles
Meanwhile, PTI's troubles continued to mount as Sheikh Waqas Akram's seat may be heading toward turbulence.
Akram appears to be under scrutiny following a motion by PML-N's Nosheen Iftikhar seeking to declare his seat vacant. A decision is expected on August 11.
According to sources, the motion gained traction after the NA speaker raised concerns over Akram's prolonged absence.
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