# Leader of the Opposition (Pakistan)

The leader of the opposition (Urdu: قائد حزب اختلاف) is the people's elected politician who is, by law, the leader of the Official Opposition in Pakistan. The leader of the opposition is the leader of the largest political party in the National Assembly that is not in government. This is usually the leader of the second-largest political party in the National Assembly.
The leader of the opposition is normally viewed as an alternative Prime Minister. There is also a leader of the opposition in the Senate, who is elected / nominated separately by the opposition members of the Senate of Pakistan.

## Powers of the opposition leader

The leader of opposition has constitutional authority to consult with the elected prime minister for appointment of a caretaker prime minister. A caretaker prime minister is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and opposition leader.
They have constitutional authority to consult with the prime minister for appointment of the chief election commissioner and members of Election Commission of Pakistan. The president appoints the chief election commissioner and members after consultation with the opposition leader and prime minister.
The chairman of the National Accountability Bureau is appointed after consultation between the prime minister and opposition leader.
They also recommend names of two members of the National Assembly as members of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan from opposition benches for appointment of judges of Supreme Court, High Courts and Federal Shariat Court.

## List

A list of the leaders of the opposition before and according to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.
| | Leaders of the Opposition | Starting term | Ending term | Political affiliation | Political ideology |
| 1 | Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy | 7 July 1955 | 11 September 1956 | All-Pakistan Awami League | Islamic socialism |
| 2 | I. I. Chundrigar | 16 December 1957 | 1 October 1958 | Muslim League | Pakistani nationalism |
| 3 | Fatima Jinnah | 1 January 1960 | 9 July 1967 | IND | Pakistani nationalism |
| 4 | Sardar Bahadur Khan | 8 June 1962 | 21 August 1964 | Pakistan Muslim League | Pakistani nationalism |
| — | Nurul Amin | 12 June 1965 | 25 March 1969 | Pakistan Muslim League | Pakistani nationalism |
| 5 | Khan Abdul Wali Khan | 14 April 1972 | 17 August 1975 | National Awami Party | Democratic socialism |
| 6 | Mufti Mehmood | 17 August 1975 | 5 July 1977 | Pakistan National Alliance | Islamism |
| 7 | Syed Fakhar Imam | 24 March 1985 | 29 May 1988 | Pakistan Muslim League | National conservatism |
| (5) | Khan Abdul Wali Khan | 2 December 1988 | 6 August 1990 | ANP | Democratic socialism |
| 8 | Benazir Bhutto | 6 November 1990 | 18 July 1993 | PPP | Democratic socialism |
| 9 | Nawaz Sharif | 19 October 1993 | 5 November 1996 | PMLN | Pakistani conservatism |
| (8) | Benazir Bhutto | 17 February 1997 | 12 October 1999 | PPP | Democratic socialism |
| 10 | Fazal-ur-Rehman | 25 March 2004 | 15 November 2007 | JUI (F) | Religious conservatism |
| 11 | Parvez Elahi | 10 April 2008 | 16 September 2008 | PML(Q) | Conservatism |
| 12 | Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan | 17 September 2008 | 7 June 2013 | PMLN | Pakistani conservatism |
| 13 | Khurshid Shah | 7 June 2013 | 31 May 2018 | PPP | Democratic socialism |
| 14 | Shehbaz Sharif | 20 August 2018 | 10 April 2022 | PMLN | Pakistani conservatism |
| 15 | Raja Riaz | 20 May 2022 | 10 August 2023 | PTI | Welfarism |
| 16 | Omar Ayub | 2 April 2024 | Incumbent | PTI | Anti-corruption |