ISLAMABAD: The process of the appointment of the opposition leader in the Upper House of the Parliament has finally started, with Raja Nasir Abbas likely to be notified as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate soon. In this context, a meeting was held at the Senate Secretariat on Friday in which the senior officials concerned from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Senate Secretariat participated, it is learnt. Secretary Senate Syed Hasnain Haider would reportedly issue a notification regarding the opposition leader’s appointment once the related approval is granted by Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani. However, Gilani did not chair the Senate session on Friday, as he was the acting president following President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Bahrain (January 13-16). Gilani is expected to nod to Abbas’s elevation as Senate Opposition Leader once he resumes the role of chairman Senate. Apart from that, Sherry Rehman from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) presided over the maiden sitting of the 357th session. The House passed the Transfer of Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a government’s legislative draft that provides for “creating an enabling environment for track access and rail development.” “Track access and rail development are very much essential for economic growth of the country through regional connectivity,” reads the Statement of Objects and Reasons of this bill. Three government bills; the Travel Agencies (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Pakistan Tourist Guides (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Pakistan Hotels and Restaurants (Amendment) Bill, 2026 were referred to the relevant standing committees. Senators Falak Naz, Fawzia Arshad, Aimal Wali, Saadia Abbasi and Dilawar Khan jointly moved a calling attention notice “towards the excessive and unmonitored use of social media applications by minor children making them vulnerable to online harassment and exploitation.” The chair referred this matter to the relevant committee. Speaking on the floor of the House, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Leader in Senate Ali Zafar said, they were not allowed to meet incarcerated PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in Adiala jail Rawalpindi. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026