PTI Stripped of Top National Assembly Posts

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The National Assembly has vacated three key positions previously held by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers following their disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and Ahmad Chattha were removed from their roles as Opposition Leader, Parliamentary Leader, and Deputy Parliamentary Leader, respectively.

On August 8, 2025, the National Assembly Secretariat announced the removals, citing recent rulings from a Faisalabad special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). The court sentenced 108 individuals, including Ayub, Gul, and other PTI members, to prison terms of up to 10 years in cases linked to the May 9 protests. Seventy-seven individuals, including former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, were acquitted.

Following the court’s verdict, the ECP formally disqualified the lawmakers. The National Assembly Speaker notified the House of the changes in accordance with assembly rules, and the office space allocated to the Opposition Leader was reclaimed from PTI. Opposition members and the Speaker have begun consultations to choose a new Opposition Leader, with PTI-backed independents required to submit fresh nominations for the vacant posts.

In addition to the leadership changes, the National Assembly withdrew memberships from 15 standing committees previously held by seven disqualified PTI lawmakers. Sahibzada Hamid Raza was removed as chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights, Zartaj Gul was also removed from the same committee, and Rai Hassan Nawaz was replaced as chairman of the Standing Committee on Railways. Omar Ayub was removed from the Public Accounts Committee and Finance Committee.

These parliamentary changes follow a Supreme Court ruling on June 27, 2025, that declared PTI ineligible for reserved seats, reducing its representation in the legislature. The ECP implemented the ruling, further altering the party’s position in parliamentary proceedings.

PTI leaders, including Ayub and Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, have secured protective bail and are challenging the ECP’s disqualification decision in the Peshawar High Court. The court has scheduled a hearing for August 20, 2025, to review the petitions and determine the next legal steps.

The current developments have resulted in multiple vacancies within the opposition’s parliamentary leadership. The process of appointing replacements is ongoing, with nominations and selections to be carried out under the National Assembly’s established rules and procedures.