ISLAMABAD – PPP Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani was notified as leader of the opposition in the Senate on Friday, serving another jolt to weakening PDM, an opposition alliance against the PTI government.
Gillani, who was joint candidate of the Opposition for Islamabad seat, had been elected to the upper house of the parliament in a neck-to-neck contest by defeating government-backed Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.
The former prime minister was later picked as candidate for Senate chairman election but he lost the seat to Sadia Sanjrani, who had support from the ruling PTI.
The election was challenged by the PPP in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The petition however was rejected by the court.
Earlier today, Gillani submitted the nomination papers with the support of 30 senators. Besides 21 PPP senators, he was supported by four independent, two from the ANP, one from the Jamaat I Islami and two from the Fata.
The development has widened the differences in the ranks of the opposition as the PML-N was expecting the seat of the leader of opposition in the Senate.
The PML-N says that the PDM had decided that the opposition leader will be from the PML-N.
