A meeting between opposition lawmakers and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq ended without a breakthrough on Monday after the Speaker refused to recognise Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition.

The delegation, led by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, pressed for the immediate appointment of an opposition leader, calling it their constitutional right.

They assured the Speaker that the opposition would not “attack parliament” and intended to play its role within democratic limits.

Ayaz Sadiq, however, said he did not view Achakzai as the opposition leader and would decide the matter strictly “according to the Constitution and the law.”

He added that his doors remained open but recalled saying, “I invited your leader for talks, but he replied that he would ‘talk to India and Afghanistan,’ not to me.”

During the meeting, former Speaker Asad Qaiser said Achakzai had “worked extensively for the Constitution” and had also been an ally of the current government.

Barrister Gohar said previous harsh words stemmed from misunderstanding and that the opposition respected parliament.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Gohar reiterated that inappropriate remarks had been withdrawn and apologised for, but said the notification for the opposition leader “must be issued without delay.”

MWM’s Allama Raja Nasir said protest, walkouts and boycotts were the opposition’s democratic rights.

Earlier in the assembly session, Ayaz Sadiq condemned an opposition member’s threat to march towards the Speaker’s chair and disrupt proceedings.

“If anyone wants to fulfil such desires, they may try. It is my duty to protect the House and the Parliament,” he said.

Gohar responded that Achakzai was the opposition leader “in our view” and urged the Speaker not to widen divisions. He noted that similar disruptions had happened in the past, but insisted the opposition was no longer pursuing confrontation.

During the session, PML-N lawmaker Shumaila Rana moved a resolution against Achakzai and sought action against him, saying no one should be allowed to obstruct parliament through “pressure or mob tactics.” The Speaker did not allow voting on the resolution.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reiterated that dialogue was the only way forward, adding that the prime minister had also emphasised negotiations.

He said governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be imposed “if conditions deteriorate,” stressing that such a provision existed in the Constitution and was “not martial law.”

The National Assembly also passed the Federal Prosecution Service (Amendment) Bill and the National Commission for Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Inter Boards Coordination Commission (Amendment) Bill and the General Statistics (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill were introduced.

The House was adjourned until 2:00 pm on Tuesday.