Rana Ansar of MQM-P elected Sindh Assembly opposition leader

• She replaced PTI’s Haleem Adil Shaikh.
• Rana is the first woman to hold this position in the house.
• Rana Ansar highlighted the challenges faced by the people of Sindh.

Rana Ansar, an MPA from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), has been chosen as the new Leader of Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, taking over from PTI’s Haleem Adil Shaikh.

Rana secured the support of 39 members out of 69 opposition members, which included 20 MQM-P, 10 GDA members, and nine PTI dissidents.

Upon her election, the Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani, congratulated her, noting that she is the first woman to hold this position in the house.

Expressing gratitude to her party and the Speaker, the new opposition leader highlighted the challenges faced by the people of Sindh and emphasized the need for essential resources like water, gas, and infrastructure.

The MQM-P had formally requested a change of opposition leader in the provincial legislature and nominated Rana Ansar for the position.

The nomination was submitted after obtaining the signatures of MQM-P lawmakers, including Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jalil, and Rana Ansar.

Farooq Sattar, while speaking to journalists, mentioned that the opposition leader and other MQM-P lawmakers had not been attending the provincial assembly, leading to the decision to fill this representation gap on the opposition benches.

He further stated that the Leader of the House and the Opposition Leader would have to decide on the caretaker chief minister, expressing full confidence in Rana Ansar, who is also the parliamentary leader of the MQM-P.