Omar Ayub to become opposition leader in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: PTI-backed opponent from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Omar Ayub Khan is likely to become the leader of the opposition in the country’s 16th National Assembly (NA), ARY News reported on Sunday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that Sunni Ittehad Council has decided to bring its own opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament. If elected leader of the opposition, he would serve in the position for a third time.

PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif was on Sunday elected as the 24th Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, making history for assuming the office for second consecutive time.

Shehbaz Sharif won the prime minister’s election today after clinching 201 votes against his PTI-backed opponent from the Sunni Ittehdad Council (SIC) Omar Ayub Khan, who managed to secure 92 votes.

The magic number to clinch the office of prime minister was 169 votes. Since no single party could gain a majority in the assembly, Shehbaz has become premier with the support of PML-N’s allies – PPPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, BAP, and others.

Meanwhile Omar Ayub was elected PTI’s secretary general, unopposed, since there were no other nominations for the position.