KARACHI: Two opposition parties — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf — on Tuesday agreed to support Shaharyar Khan Mahar, an MPA belonging to another opposition party PML-Functional, for the office of the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly which fell vacant after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement joined the treasury benches.
The joint opposition in the Sindh Assembly consists of 25 lawmakers. With 11 MPAs, the PML-F is leading the small opposition in the 168-strong house followed by 10 MPAs of the PML-N and four of the PTI.
Mr Mahar, 38, hails from Shikarpur district. His father, Ghous Bux Mahar, is a seasoned politician and a sitting member of the National Assembly. The Mahars were earlier associated with the PML-Q. They parted ways with the Q-league and joined the PML-F before the May 11, 2013 general election.
The younger Mahar got commission in the Pakistan Army in 1996 as second lieutenant but resigned in 2002 as a captain. A landlord “by profession”, he obtained a law degree from the SM Law College. He had also served as a provincial minister.
The president of the PML-F’s Sindh chapter, Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi aka Yunus Sain, told Dawn that PTI’s Sindh president Nadir Akmal Leghari conveyed to him that his party’s lawmakers would support the PML-F candidate for the leader of the opposition.
He said that all efforts were being made to ensure that the opposition parties remained united and the matter was referred to their high command when a previous meeting failed to reach a consensus over the leader of the opposition issue.
Sources told Dawn that during a meeting with President Mamnoon Hussain at the State Guest House the PML-N’s provincial legislators were informed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had decided to support the nomination of PML-F’s Mahar for the office of the opposition leader.
PML-N’s Irfanullah Khan Marwat was also aspiring for the office of the leader of the opposition as he was seeking the support of the PTI. However, when he was approached over the phone he told Dawn that it was the decision of the party high command and it left him with no option but to support it.
PTI’s lawmaker Hafeezuddin also confirmed to Dawn that the party would back the nomination of Mr Mahar.
Meanwhile, PML-F leader Yunus Sain said that the party selected Mr Mahar as the leader of the opposition to promote fresh blood as young people could deliver not only to the party but also come up to the expectations of the masses.
He was optimistic that Mr Mahar would take lawmakers of other two opposition parties along and would get the message of opposition across the treasury benches.