Following the National Assembly, the Senate also notified the Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Allama Raja Nasir Abbas of Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen has been declared as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

The position had remained vacant since August 5, 2025, following the disqualification of Senator Shibli Faraz, along with other PTI leaders, after his conviction by an Anti-Terrorism Court in cases related to the May 9, 2023 violence.

Often perceived as a largely ceremonial role, the office of the Leader of the Opposition in both the Senate and the National Assembly carries a defined set of monetary benefits and privileges as well as customary precedence in certain matters as per the parliamentary traditions.

What are the customary parliamentary conventions associated with the Opp Leader?

In the House, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row on the left side of the Speaker’s dais, directly opposite the seat of the Leader of the House. It is also a parliamentary convention that the Leader of the Opposition is accorded the floor whenever requested. However, this practice is not expressly codified in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of either the National Assembly, 2007, or the Senate, 2012.

Read more about the role of Leader of the Opposition in key appointment and committees

What are the formal entitlements of the Opp Leader?

The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to receive the salary, allowances and privileges equivalent to that of Federal Ministers, as provided under the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 1974. Section 13 of this Act states that the Leader of the Opposition is entitled to salaries, allowances, and privileges equivalent to those of a federal minister. The federal ministers’ entitlements are governed under the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975.

A reading of the two statutes together indicates that the Leader of the Opposition is entitled to the following emoluments:

• Monthly Salary: Through an amendment to 1975 Act, the salary of the federal ministers was set as equivalent to that of an MNA. The current monthly salary of as notified last, stands at PKR 519,000 per month
• Equipment Allowance: PKR 5,000 (one-time, optional)
• Sumptuary Allowance: PKR 6,000 per month
• Transport: Official vehicle maintained at government expense
• Accommodation: Official residence with government-provided furnishing up to PKR 100,000, or PKR 103,125 per month in lieu of official accommodation. Usually, the Leader of the Opposition is allotted a house in the Ministers’ Enclave located in the Red Zone of Islamabad.
• Residential Telephone: An official telephone installed at residence at government expense, exempted from payment of its rental and charges of in-country calls made therefrom within the country
• Travelling Allowance: For official travel, the Leader of the Opposition will be treated as first grade officer entitled to requisition Railway Saloon or First-Class compartment, and Airplane or Helicopter belonging to Pakistan Air Force or Provincial Government, subject to availability and in line with rules made for such requisition. They are also entitled to receive an allowance of three rupees per kilometer for travel by road through private vehicle.
• Utility Allowance: PKR 22,000 per month
• Daily Allowance: PKR 4,025 to PKR 4,050 during travel and PKR 4,000 during halt for official business
• Personal Staff: One private secretary, one personal assistant, one stenographer, one qasid, and one naib-qasid
• Medical Facility: Facilities admissible under the Federal Medical Service Attendance Rules 1990, along with the medical treatment their residence
• Provident Fund: Option subscription to the General Provident Fund in accordance with the General Provident Fund (Central Services) Rules

Nevertheless, it remains the discretion of the persons occupying these offices whether or not they receive all or any of these entitlements.