Senate | Pakistan

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday suspended the nomination of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Azam Khan Swati as leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and Senate.

ISLAMABAD - Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly besides picking Senator Azam Khan Swati for the same slot in the Senate.

Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the post of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said on Wednesday. “Azam Khan Swati has been nominated as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate,” Raja added. He also said Imran has asked for five names to decide on his nominee for the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly. The announcement comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan earlier this month disqualified PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan as the NA opposition leader and Shibli Faraz from the same role in the Senate, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in May 9 cases. Both PTI opposition leaders were formally removed from their posts on August 8. Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Raja said that Imran had nominated Achakzai, who currently leads the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), to take Ayub’s place. “The PTI founder has entrusted the ...

After the National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday also passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, which reinserted powers granted to law enforcement authorities (LEAs) and the armed forces to detain individuals for up to three months, amid the opposition’s uproar. Last week, National Assembly had passed the amendment to the ATA. Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Muhammad Tallal Badar moved the Anti-terrorism Amendment Bill 2025 to amend the ATA in the House, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. A copy of the bill, available with Dawn.com read: “The government or, where the provisions of section 4 have been invoked, the armed forces or civil armed forces, as the case maybe, subject to the specific or general order of the government in this regard, for a period not exceeding three months and after recording reasons thereof, issue order for the preventative detention of any person.” This amendment was made to sub-section (1) of Section 11EEEE of the ATA. Any person s...

Amid the opposition uproar, the Senate on Tuesday passed the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with a majority of votes by rejecting amendments proposed by JUI-F lawmaker Kamran Murtaza.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday informed the Senate that the European Union (EU) had lifted its ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), paving the way for the resumption of flights to Paris and other European destinations.

LAHORE - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has granted a Senate ticket to the senior party leader Rana Sanaullah Khan for a general seat from the Punjab Assembly.

• House unanimously passes resolution reaffirming commitment to sovereignty • Internet service across Balochistan to stay suspended until 31st, lawmakers told • PML-N legislator accuses govt of ‘copying’ his bill ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has assured the Senate that the release of an official advertisement on Independence Day, without a portrait of the country’s founder Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, would be investigated. “It is not in our notice. If it has happened, this is heart-afflicting for all,” he told the upper house of parliament on Friday. He assured that an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain how it happened and the house will be formally informed about the progress. The government had come under fire from political and social circles over the official advertisement issued by the Ministry of Information, which omitted images of the Quaid-i-Azam and national poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal. The advertisement, published in major national newspapers and aired on television channe...

PESHAWAR - The Peshawar High Court (PHC) yesterday barred the Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker from appointing leaders of opposition in their respective Houses.

ISLAMABAD - The opposition and the treasury on Tuesday traded barbs in the Senate over ‘convictions and disqualifications’ of the PTI lawmakers, with the former questioning the integrity of judiciary and the latter advising the convicts to adopt legal recourse.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued a stay order for the appointments of new opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate following the disqualification and removal of PTI’s Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from their respective roles. On August 5, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified Ayub and Faraz, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in three cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Subsequently, on August 8, both leaders were removed from their posts through notifications issued by the NA and Senate secretariats. A division bench comprising Justices Arshad Ali and Dr Khurshid Iqbal took up separate petitions filed earlier today by Ayub and Faraz against the denotification of their parliamentary roles. PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan appeared as the counsel for both petitioners. The bench issued notices to the ECP and other respondents, directing them to halt the appointments for the opposition leader in both houses of...

PTI’s Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan and Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz, were removed from their seats, according to notifications by the respective houses’ secretariats that came to light on Friday. On Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots. According to the notification by the National Assembly Secretariat dated August 7, “ 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.“ A similar notification for Faraz was issued by the Senate Secretariat: “Consequent upon disq...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad last week senten­ced over 100 leaders and workers of the PTI, including several key opposition figures, to jail terms of up to 10 years in connection with the May 9 riots. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz, MNA Zartaj Gul, Raza, Sheikh Rashid Shafique (nephew of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid), Kanwal Shauzab, Fara...

Mishal Yousafzai has been elected to the Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, securing 86 votes in a by-election held to fill the seat vacated by former PTI Senator Dr Sania Nishtar.

The by-election for the vacant Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, previously held by Sania Nishtar, is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Thursday), according to the provincial election commission.

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued a Senate ticket to Mashal Yousafzai for the by-election on a reserved seat that fell vacant after the resignation of Sania Nishtar, ARY News reported. According to sources, the party ticket was issued on the directives of PTI founder Imran Khan. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar has released the […]

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified the names of the eleven successful candidates from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Senate elections.

A group of non-Muslim senators have written a letter to Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani for the formation of a minority caucus in the House to represent their rights, it emerged on Friday. A caucus refers to a formal or informal group within Parliament or provincial assemblies, often focused on specific issues or the interests of particular groups. At present, the most prominent one in the Senate is the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), a cross-party forum for women parliamentarians to address issues related to women, girls and gender equality. The letter dated July 24, seen by Dawn.com, was signed by Senator Khalil Tahir Sandhu (PML-N, Punjab), Senator Gurdeep Singh (PTI, KP), Senator Poonjo Mal Bheel (PPP, Sindh), and Senator Danesh Kumar (BAP, Balochistan) and addressed to the chairman Senate. “We, the undersigned non-Muslim members of the Senate of Pakistan, respectfully submit this joint request for the activation and formal recognition of the minority caucus within the Senate, and for our inclusion...

ISLAMABAD - The top election regulatory authority yesterday rejected the allegation regarding pre-marked ballot papers were handed to MPs by the polling staff during the Senate polls in KPK.

NEWLY elected PTI senators Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Noor ul Haq Qadri and Faisal Javed take oath.—White Star • Resolution rejects justification for such crimes on cultural grounds • House passes Whistleblower Protection Commission Bill, okays 20pc reward for exposing corruption • Navy Ordinance amended with stricter penalties for misconduct • Eight new senators sworn in ISLAMABAD: Alarmed by a brutal act of vigilante justice in Balochistan, where a man and woman were executed in broad daylight under a jirga verdict in the name of “honour”, the Senate on Thursday called for an immediate and transparent investigation to bring all perpetrators — inclu­ding those who convened or sanctioned the jirga — to justice. In a resolution adopted almost unanimously, the Senate declared that so-called honour killings were not “honourable”, rather constituted murder under the law and must be prosecuted as such. The resolution, tabled by PPP parliamentary leader Senator Sherry Rehman, was supported by all parties across the ais...