ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shahbaz Sharif is set to become the leader of the opposition in the country’s 15th National Assembly as 111 MNAs have nominated him for the slot.

Speaker Asad Qaiser told the house on Friday that he had received Mr Sharif’s nomination as the opposition leader signed by 111 members from the opposition benches.

The leader of the opposition will be notified on Monday.

While the Pakistan Peoples Party had abstained from voting for Shahbaz Sharif for the office of prime minister, it appeared that some PPP lawmakers had also recommended Mr Sharif as the opposition leader.

The PPP has a total of 43 MNAs.

The total strength of the PML-N in the house is 82 followed by the Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal (15) and the Awami National Party (one).

The collective number of the three opposition parties is 98 and the support of 111 lawmakers to Mr Sharif indicated that some PPP members also supported his candidature for the slot of the leader of the opposition.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018