Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar

Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar
Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab
Assumed office
20 March 2024
Chief MinisterMaryam Nawaz
Preceded byHamza Shehbaz
Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab
Assumed office
23 February 2024
ConstituencyPP-87 Mianwali-III
In office
16 October 2018 – 14 January 2023
ConstituencyPP-87 Mianwali-III
In office
29 May 2013 – 31 May 2018
ConstituencyPP-45 (Mianwali-III)
Personal details
Born (1968-04-19) 19 April 1968 (age 56)
Wan Bhachran, Punjab, Pakistan
Political partyPTI (2013-present)
Beautiful view of Punjab Assembly Lahore - panoramio.jpg
Punjab Assembly Lahore

Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar is a Pakistani politician who is currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab since his appointment by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) on 20 March 2024.

He had been a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from October 2018 till January 2023. Previously he was member of the Punjab Assembly from May 2013 to May 2018. He is also an agriculturalist and businessman.[1]

Early life and education

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He was born on 19 April 1968 in Wan Bhachran, Mianwali District, Punjab, Pakistan.[1]

He graduated in 1989 from University of the Punjab and has a degree of Bachelor of Arts.[1]

Political career

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He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from PP-45 (Mianwali-III) in the 2013 Punjab provincial election.[2] He received 59,746 votes and defeated Ali Haider Noor Khan Niazi.[3]

In 2018, he was allocated the PTI ticket to contest the 2018 Punjab provincial election from PP-87 (Mianwali-III),[4] but the election was postponed in the constituency following the death of a contesting candidate.[5]

He was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of the PTI from PP-87 (Mianwali-III) on 12 October 2018. He was elected unopposed after rest of the contesting candidates withdrew.[6] He also served as Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government & Community Development in Punjab.[1]

He won the seat in the Provincial Assembly from PP-87 Mianwali-III as a candidate of the PTI in the 2024 Punjab provincial election. He was forced to run as an Independent alongside other PTI candidates but was able to win his seat. He then declared his affiliation under the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) with other PTI members.[7]

On 20 March, SIC nominated him as the temporary opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly. Opposition leader candidate Mian Aslam Iqbal was unable to take the oath as a member of the assembly due to threats of an arrest, hence Bachar is serving as the Opposition leader until Mian Aslam Iqbal is able to hold the post.[7]

As opposition leader he criticized Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz for bad leadership and labeled her a “TikToker.”[8] He also claimed the PML-N and several institutions had rigged the 2024 Pakistani general election using Form 47s.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Punjab Assembly". www.pap.gov.pk. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. ^ "List of winners of Punjab Assembly seats". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. ^ "2013 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  4. ^ "PTI finalises candidates for NA, PA seats". The Nation. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  5. ^ "ECP postpones election in PP-87 due to death of a candidate". brecorder. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  6. ^ "PTI's Ahmad Khan Bachar has been elected unopposed to PP-87 (Mianwali)". DAWN.COM. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  7. ^ a b "SIC nominates Bachar as temporary opposition leader in Punjab Assembly". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b Yasif, Rana (20 July 2024). "PTI sets stage for dual rallies in Lahore and Islamabad on August 14". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 August 2024.