NA removes PTI leaders from key parliamentary positions after ECP disqualification ruling 

Islamabad (Web Desk): In a significant move reflecting ongoing political turbulence, the National Assembly has stripped three senior figures aligned with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of their key parliamentary roles.

Sources confirmed on Friday that the changes came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formally de-notified several PTI lawmakers, following their convictions linked to the violent events of May 9.

Omar Ayub, previously serving as the Leader of the Opposition, has been relieved of his duties. Alongside him, Zartaj Gul and Ahmad Chattha have lost their positions as parliamentary leader and deputy parliamentary leader, respectively.

These decisions were prompted by a ruling from a special anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad, which recently delivered verdicts against a group of individuals involved in the May 9 disturbances. Of the 185 people charged, 108 were found guilty, while 77—including prominent PTI figures Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro—were acquitted.

Following the court's verdict, the ECP acted to revoke the parliamentary status of the convicted members.

The Speaker of the National Assembly subsequently informed the House of their disqualifications, adhering to procedural rules. In the aftermath, opposition circles have begun deliberations to select a new leader of the opposition, while PTI-backed independent members will be required to present new candidates for the remaining leadership vacancies.

In addition to the loss of their top-tier roles, several PTI members were removed from key parliamentary committees. Omar Ayub, for instance, has also been dropped from the finance committee under the Public Accounts Committee.

Overall, seven disqualified lawmakers collectively forfeited their membership in 15 standing committees.

Among the notable removals, Sahibzada Hamid Raza was unseated as Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Rights, while Zartaj Gul lost her seat on the same committee. Rai Hassan Nawaz was also dismissed from his position as the head of the Standing Committee on Railways.

These developments signal a wider reshuffling within the lower house, with implications for PTI’s parliamentary presence and the broader opposition’s cohesion in the wake of legal and political challenges tied to last year’s unrest.